Information War
by Kmm1128
Summary: Pandemonium, conspiracy and controversey surround the last few days of the congressional elections in a comedy of errors. A political comedy, but overall a testament to the power of information and its ability to make and break people's lives.
1. Chapter 1

Information War

Chapter One: On the Issue of Politics

The final days of the elections had come quickly, and now the ANA was frantically lobbying and rallying support in the key states as well as everywhere else they could find voter and candidate support. Even though they were not running for any position, they behaved like a political party. Auger and Street were constantly on the phone with every local and national press they had contact with. Renee and Hubble had taken their show on the road with the candidates who supported them holding rallies and fund raisers in key districts and selling political ads on the television. Liam was working with a team of specialists Hubble had hired for the sole purpose of monitoring the press reports.

Link had repeatedly stated that he wanted nothing to do with politics. All he planned to do was cast his vote, which he had done through early voting, and hope for the best.

The Espelons and the Taelons were quiet for the most part, or so it seemed. Tay'jay had been holding special meetings throughout the month of October, and with Da'an recovered, she was working very closely with him. But right now, Da'an was not present. In fact, she was not on the planet Earth. She and Ariel had left with Mi'en. It was a vacation for Da'an and Ariel, a chance to spend some quality time together, a chance for Da'an to get her mind off the pressures of working with the resistance and the ANA, and a chance for Da'an to talk seriously in solitude with Nye. That was where they were going: Nye and her cult's planet.

It seemed that Ta'lay was constantly on and off Earth for purposes that she could not give. Nobody knew where she was going, what she was doing, and, thanks to Tay'jay, nobody asked. Wherever she was now, she was not currently on Earth. She wanted nothing to do with politics. She said she had had her fill of politics from her work in England and her work on the Mothership.

It was late at night, and Liam was watching Larry King Live. He was interviewing a candidate running for a key district in California. Liam groaned as he watched the shallow dialogue unfold on the television screen. Street came in with a cup of coffee for him.

"No organic stuff," she promised. "On the house."

"You've read my mind. I never thought I could get tired just watching TV all month, but my brain has found a way," Liam said gorging on the liquid caffeine. "I didn't even get to see Ariel do her first trick-or-treating on Halloween because I was watching a special episode of Crossfire on the Fox News Network."

"Poor thing," Street said. "Well, it'll be over in a few days. I wish they'd let us look at the early voting results. We could see if all this work has been making any progress."

"Yeah, I know," Liam said. "You know, it's funny. Less than forty percent of the nation actually votes during a midterm election, but now the analysts are predicting a sixty percent turnout. They say it's all this business with the priests and the Taelons. I knew the Taelons could improve our environment, our technology, and our medical science, but I had no clue they could improve our voter turnout."

Street laughed. "At this rate, we might actually be a democracy soon. So what do you do here, anyway?"

"I make sure that our key candidates don't say anything stupid, and if they do, I call Hubble and his team of specialists to clean up the mess. Oh, and in the daytime, I monitor the Nielson groups with those network analysts Hubble hired and make sure our candidates are coming off as 'amiable.' "

"Sounds like fun," Street said.

"Believe it or not, it would be if I didn't have freakin' Hubble breathing down my back. He's in Kansas right now, but he's still got a leash on me. Jeez."

"I'll bet Da'an's glad she bailed when she did."

"Oh, don't even start on that," Liam said. "Hubble hasn't let me hear the end of that either, as if I have any authority to stop Da'an. She's a grown woman. She can do whatever she wants."

"I know that she needed a vacation, but she couldn't have waited a little bit?" Street said. "I mean. You can kinda understand where Hubble's coming from."

"What could Da'an possibly do to help us? The humans think she's dead, and the priests are trying to make it so. It's not like she can march on the Washington Monument with a 'Free Tibet' sign."

"What?" Street laughed, giving Liam and funny look.

"You know what I mean," Liam cried. "It's eleven o'clock, and I've been up for eighteen hours straight. My brain's not always gonna say things that make sense right now."

Street continued giggling. "But a 'Free Tibet' sign? That has absolutely nothing to do with this election."

"The point is there's not a lot Da'an can do here. And besides, TJ promised he'd fill in for her while she's gone. They're pretty much the same when it comes to politics."

"Yeah. TJ just happens to be the bigger asshole," Street said.

"Don't remind me."

Street started laughing again. "If it makes you feel better, I can fill in for you and let you get some sleep."

"Ah, thanks but no thanks," Liam said. "I've got a substitute coming in about an hour anyway. I might as well finish this."

"Okay. Well good luck," Street said patting Liam's back and walking out of the room giggling to herself. She just couldn't get the image of Da'an with a 'Free Tibet' sign on the Washington Monument with her hippie friends out of her head.

* * *

Augur groggily rose from his bed to the sounds of Miles Davis. When he checked the clock he realized that he had only obtained three hours of sleep. When he came to the coffee pot and realized it would take twenty minutes to boil the water, he went straight for the refrigerator and grabbed a can of cola. Feeling somewhat renewed, he worked his way through the dim lair and eventually found his control console.

"Good morning, Augur," holo-Da'an told him. "It is now 5:33 am. Shall I read to you your schedule for the day?"

"Not right now. Just turn on the TV," Augur told her, taking another swig of cola.

"Very well."

Augur praised God that the channel holo-Da'an had turned to had nothing about the congressional elections. It was an infomercial about the latest in toaster technology. At that point, the Miles Davis music switched off, but Augur ordered holo-Da'an to turn it back on and mute the infomercial. Then, he dressed and performed his daily ritual of washing and grooming.

When he was finished, he sat down at his computer console and prepared himself for the latest onslaught of events. "Let me have it."

However, as the hologram dictacted his schedule, Augur felt his still sleepy and wandering mind drift towards the night of the secret meeting Da'an had called.

It had happened just a week ago. Only Tay'jay, Mi'en, Ta'lay, Link and Augur had been allowed to attend.

Augur remembered how regal Da'an looked as she sat at the end of the wooden table in the locked conference room. A freak winter chill had passed through, so she was wearing an azure silk dress with a long white cashmere shawl draped across her shoulders and her chest. She had also been wearing a thick black wool coat with golden buttons. Her red hair was wrapped upwards into an elaborate design with curled bangs hanging over her ears rendering her need for earrings obsolete. Her face was clear and confident, and her eyes were narrow and focused with a jeweled twinkle like two blue topaz gems held against a white light. When she walked, her posture was straight and upright with her head tilted slightly upward. Her form flowed gracefully and gently as a stark contrast to her straight back. Augur could tell that she was not only feeling better, but she was also feeling better than she had ever felt before.

Tay'jay sat to her right and Link sat to her left. Tay'jay looked like he was royalty as well—military royalty anyway. He was wearing what appeared to be a military uniform. His slacks were long, black and crisp as if they had just been tailored. His shirt was long and black with a flap that folded all the way across his chest and buttoned from the collar downward. The buttons were all pure white crystal. There was a thick purple strip knitted into the straight collar on his right side. He also had a long black cape over his shoulders, and a purple Taelon belt that reminded Augur of the sash T'than used to wear.

Neither of them had really explained why they were dressed so fanciful. Tay'jay had merely mentioned that they were both going abroad, which in the alien lexicon meant they were leaving the planet. Mi'en and Ariel had gone with Da'an, and Ta'lay had gone with Tay'jay. And only Tay'jay had come back.

Augur knew why all of them had left. It was for the same reason he was working endless nights building a network out of the communications system he had built for the ANA. Da'an had made them all do it.

Da'an had so adamantly drilled the orders to keep silent about the details of that meeting that Augur felt like thinking about it was a violation of her orders. However, Augur dared to recall all the assignments Da'an had given them in what was to be her counter-agenda to the priests.

Mi'en was now Da'an's personal pilot. She would fly Da'an anywhere Da'an asked her to and not ask any questions about it. Mi'en had eagerly agreed to the task.

Ta'lay had been assigned to work with Dr. Curzon and a team of Espelon smugglers to stock up on medical supplies. She had left with Tay'jay to get started.

Link's assignment was top secret. Da'an had reportedly disclosed to him his assignment well before the meeting. All that the group was supposed to know was that they were not to get in his way as he worked and they were not to ask questions.

Tay'jay's was the most important assignment of all. He was to prepare the smuggling ring for the evacuation of every last Espelon and Taelon working with the resistance on the planet, and eventually as many humans as they could convince to go with them.

A war was coming, and Da'an had nearly lost her mind searching with her prophetic powers for the way to stop it. Soon she realized that there was no way to stop it. Ma'el's purpose had not been for her to prevent the war. It had been for her to prepare for it. Her purpose was to save as many lives as she could, and she was already behind schedule.

Now, more than ever, Augur wished that Da'an had stayed behind. However, he understood her need for a vacation, and election time was the ideal time for it to be done. There was little to nothing Da'an could really do to help the ANA with the congressional elections given her position as an alien fugitive. And afterwards, there would be no time to rest. Da'an and Ariel needed some serious time to themselves. However, Da'an had assured the group that she would still carry out her part of the agenda.

Augur still wished she were here. She could console him on the totally meaningless work he was doing for Hubble with these elections. It was bad enough that Da'an had given him such a mammoth assignment—an assignment he would have to carry out in secret—but the last thing he needed were these asinine political debacles getting in his way of completing his assignment. She had left the distraught Augur with a warning just before she left. She told him to expect things to get worse before they got better. If there was anything the priests would do, it would be these crucial days before Election Day.

Augur's thoughts turned to Liam and Renee. He felt for the two, and he also felt torn. He still owed Liam and Renee a lot, but Da'an had writhed that obligation from him by demanding his unbending devotion to her and her agenda. He wanted to be able to tell Renee and Liam everything he had learned from Da'an, but his allegiance to her was the price he had to pay for such valuable information.

It surprised Augur how capable Da'an was of bringing about such blind loyalty in such a short amount of time. He felt like he had been manipulated into following her. However, he also understood that if he were in a tight situation and he could pick one person to be with, it would be Da'an. This revelation had surprised Augur, but Da'an was much stronger than Liam and Renee combined. She was much more able than them. Things started moving when she was in charge. When she was incapacitated, everyone was incapacitated with her. She was not a friend, Augur realized, like Liam and Renee were. She was a leader, and she was now his leader. Augur recalled the many different ways people had bought his services. People like Max Pratt had threatened him. People like Doors and Urick had paid him. People like Boone, Lili, Liam and Renee had befriended him and protected him. Da'an had done none of those things. _She merely opened her mouth and pointed, and I bowed to her and offered her my services freely._ She had a power that was unspoken. She had an authority that was inherent. There was no question why she was such a powerful weapon to the priests. He could only speculate what she had done those thousands of years before she came to Earth when she played the role of the priests' silent enforcer.

However, Augur had also seen Da'an's vulnerable side. They all had. And after seeing it and the consequences of its exposure, Augur understood why Da'an had hidden it for so long. Da'an's weakness was in her emotions, the emotions that the humans had given her. But Da'an's vulnerability was the only thing that had saved her from the darkness that had overcome Zo'or. Her emotions were what had freed her from the Commonality and inspired her to fight for humanity. _Are her emotions truly a weakness then?_ Perhaps they still were, especially when Da'an opened her heart to someone. Someone could still hurt her terribly if they took advantage of that gift, and the devastation could destroy her very being as it had nearly done so many times. Balancing her newfound emotions with her ambitions was still a struggle, Augur realized, but for every mistake Da'an made, she gained a wealth of knowledge that helped her overcome. Those that cared for her simply had to brace themselves for the fall when it came and enjoy the aftermath when it was over.

In Augur's eyes, Da'an was a soft and silent killer. She had a kindness and warmth that drew millions to her. It could not be described as a charm. It was simply compassion that brought devotion. However, her warmth was merely a veil. She worked like a soft blade or an incoming tide. By the time anyone realized what was happening, it was too late. It was this silent and subtle power that made Da'an a force to be reckoned with. She could slip in so quietly and pull the rug from beneath. No one even realized a rug was there in the first place.

And it was this vigor that Augur and so many like him respected. And that was why he continued to follow Da'an's command even after he realized she had captured him.

"Augur! Are you listening?" holo-Da'an cried firmly.

"Yeah, yeah," Augur said quickly.

"Then, what did I just say?"

"Um…something about the communications system. I have the system and finish debugging the new program."

Holo-Da'an leered at Augur. "That was about as vague as a state of the union address."

"Come on, baby. My brain's on empty right now. Even geniuses need their rest."

"I know that, and I am trying to help you as best as I can. We all are. That's why you programmed us. Look! I just finished doing a test run of your new firewall."

"And?" Augur asked eagerly.

"All tests were positive. I believe the firewall is ready for a field test."

"That's great!" Augur cried with joy. "That's the first bit of good news I've had all week. Now all I have to do is encrypt the system and create a set of exclusive cipher keys. Holo-Da'an, you may have just gotten me through the day today."

"Aw, I love it when you're excited," holo-Da'an said. "You're like a big teddy bear."

"I'm so glad the real Da'an doesn't know you exist," Augur said. "She'd probably turn me into a mental vegetable."

"Speaking of the real Da'an, I believe we have done all we can to update the network," holo-Da'an said. "You will need her help if you want to field-test the prototype system seeing as this is a worldwide network. However, since she is currently on vacation, I have come to the consensus that you have earned a much-needed rest."

"Oh, thank God!" Augur cried. "I only hope my other boss is as lenient."

"Hubble, you mean? He is in Kansas right now. I do not see what he could do."

"Hey, wait a minute!" Augur cried. "I just had a great idea! I can just field-test the system the same way I field-tested the one I built for the ANA. We'll use the old resistance communication system. That should suffice until we can use Da'an to help us get it global."

"Capital idea," holo-Da'an exclaimed. "I will upload the program to your computer at the ANA headquarters and your assistant there can take over."

"Oh, speaking of which, I'd better get down there," Augur said urgently. "If I don't leave now, I'll be late."

"Good luck," holo-Da'an said exchanging with him the Taelon greeting and then disappearing.

* * *

"TJ, don't you think that's a little extreme?" Street asked him.

"It's not extreme at all. It's the truth," Tay'jay exclaimed.

Augur walked in to find Tay'jay, Liam and Street arguing about something. Link was reading _The Prince_. All were settled in the large communications. The ANA employees and the new team that was Hubble's campaign PR department had not yet arrived to fill the room. Only a skeleton crew run by Liam was working by watching the press releases, the electric headlines, and the television news.

"I refuse to believe that any voter is that stupid, TJ," Liam said.

"That's the kind of talk I'd expect from a humanist," Tay'jay said, sneering at Liam. "Look. Technology and the circulation of information may have improved in the past decade or so, but your average American voter is as stupid as ever. They're especially stupid now because they have all this information available through hundreds of different mediums and they still don't bother to read it. Think about it. Most newspapers have had to convert entirely to electronic news, and circulation is still down nationwide. Ratings for the presidential state of the union address are at an all-time low. Local networks won't even broadcast it now if it airs during sweeps months because it's such a ratings nightmare. You know what the top story of this year is slated to be? 'Teenage celebrity Polly Kimpler marries music director who's ten years older than her.' And you guys wonder why Doors lost the election so fast!"

"Do I even wanna know what they're talking about?" Augur asked Link.

"Probably not," Link said with his eyes still stuck in his book. "Something about using the inherent flaws of the American political system to rule the world."

"But doesn't the fact that Doors got so far as he did in the ratings polls show that American voters are judging more wisely?" Street asked. "I mean, for Zo'or to have been so desperate to use an attempted assassination plot just to win an election shows the growing power of the resistance movement."

"First of all, you can't take the actions of Zo'or's Synod into account because they were a bunch of idiots," Tay'jay said. "They didn't attack when they should've and the attempted assassination plot was Zo'or's last desperate method of compensating. Zo'or probably never would've acted if Da'an wasn't bringing Zo'or's leadership abilities into question in the Synod just as the elections were unfolding. The priests are smarter than that. Any idiot with a political science book can take this nation to hell in a hand-basket especially given the fact that it's a two-party system."

"Okay then, smart guy, how would you do it?" Liam asked.

"What would I have done in Zo'or's shoes? Simple," Tay'jay said. "Everyone knows that the presidential primary elections generate the lowest voter turnout in the nation next to mid-term congressional elections. That's America's first mistake: enabling the masses to choose their own candidates and then giving them such a varied selection of candidates to choose from. I'll bet Doors never told you guys that he made it past primaries by the skin of his teeth. Nobody talks about that. My point is the entire system of primary elections makes it inherently easy to rig. If I were Zo'or, I'd get a feel for the potential candidates on both parties. Then I'd pick the most pro-Taelon candidate in both parties and rig them so that those two candidates won. If I had a vendetta against Doors, he never would've made it past primaries if I were in charge. Zo'or was so busy focusing on other crap that he never thought to do that."

"So basically, you'd rig it to where the people have to choose between Tweedle-dee and Tweedle-dum?" Street surmised.

"Damn straight," Tay'jay said.

"That's horrible," Liam protested.

"That's politics, baby," Tay'jay shot back. "It's not my fault only thirty percent of your country gets off its ass and votes. Do you know that most counties now let you vote almost two weeks well in advance before Election Day, and voter turnout is still low? Why do you think so many politicians in favor of Doors said the American people didn't vote for Thompson by a landslide? They said only thirty percent of the people voted for Thompson by a landslide, and it's true. What should really piss you off is that voter turnout is that low despite the fact that voting is faster and more efficient than ever. But we could talk for days about that."

"Okay, what about this?" Street asked. "What if Doors got past primaries despite the fact that you tried to rig the elections? What would you do then?"

"The answer is simple," Tay'jay said. "I'd launch a smear campaign. I'd dig until I found every mistake that man's ever made from the day he was born, and from what I hear, he's made a lot of those. Then, I'd broadcast it on every TV in America for the whole nation to hear. And then, if all else failed, I'd drag his ass into a good old-fashioned scandal. However, I'd be smart enough to launch the scandal just before the polls opened. That way, it's fresh on people's mind, so it plays a huge factor in who they vote for. Also, Doors' cronies would be so busy trying to clean up the mess that when it was all finished, it'd be too late for them to launch a counterstatement. It's the perfect plan."

"You are a ruthless man," Liam said.

"Only when I need to be," Tay'jay shrugged.

"But even if America votes the wrong president in, we have a system of checks and balances that counters a bad candidate getting elected," Street said.

"A system that is never practiced," Tay'jay said. "When was the last time a president was ever impeached? During the Clinton Administration. And when was the last time such impeachment ever came back with a removal of the president? Never!"

"That's not true," Street said. "What about Nixon? He was impeached and kicked out of office."

"No. He was impeached and so he resigned. That's not the same thing," Tay'jay said. "In over two centuries of presidents, only three have been impeached, and Nixon is the closest the US has come to having a removal of the president, and you know why that is?"

"No, but I bet you're gonna tell us," Liam said cynically.

"It's because presidents are allowed to pack the entire federal judicial system with their supporters, and these said judges are the ones who preside over an impeachment trial. That's what also makes the Supreme Court inherently useless. The president can ideally pack the Supreme Court with as many justices as he sees fit. That's how Franklin Roosevelt was able to pack the Supreme Court with as many as thirteen justices at one time before it was decided that the traditional number should be no more than nine. However, that's not dictated in the Constitution. The president can constitutionally pack as many justices as he sees fit. Supreme Court justices have control over evidence that can be submitted into the trial. That's why it was so hard to introduce the tapes that would have convicted Nixon, had he not resigned, into evidence."

"Uh, I gotta correct something," Link chimed in. "It was hard to get the tapes into evidence because _Nixon_ made it hard, not because of the Supreme Court justices. They'd been telling him for months to produce those tapes, and when he finally did, they'd been edited."

"That only further proves my point," Tay'jay shouted back.

"But on the president packing the Supreme Court, the candidates have to go before a senatorial committee," Street said. "If the Senate is packed with people who don't support the president, their committee can get rid of any and all Supreme Court candidates the president nominates."

"Yes, but remember that by the time an impeachment trial has even begun, it's far too late for that," Tay'jay said. "That's the price you pay for giving Supreme Court justices a lifetime membership. If the president before him packed the Supreme Court with justices who favor the current president, there's nothing the Senate can do. They can't undo their decision after they've made it."

"But what if they don't favor the current president?" Street asked.

As Tay'jay, Liam, and Street continued their argument, Augur set himself at a computer console next to Link.

"Enjoying your book?" Augur asked.

"I'd enjoy it even more if certain people would _put a sock in it_!" Link yelled.

"Get outta the kitchen if you can't stand the heat, semper fi!" Tay'jay shot back.

"Bastard," Link muttered under his breath. He closed the book, admitting to himself that he would never reach the next chapter today. "So how's everything on your end, Augur-man?"

"Can I speak openly for a moment?" Augur whispered.

Link understood his words and moved in a little closer.

"It took me several sleepless nights and about a thousand cups of genuine Colombian coffee, but the communication system is for the most part finished. All I need to do it field test it and debug the codes."

"And how long it that gonna take?" Link asked.

"About six weeks," Augur said.

"You're gonna debug like ten million lines of code in just six weeks?" Link asked, so astonished that he had to correct himself and lower his voice once more.

"Well, with my holo-ladies and a compiler as fancy as the one we have here, it cuts the time a lot shorter," Augur said. "But if I could run it nonstop with a team of analysts in the open, it'd only take me two weeks."

"Technology's a wonder sometimes."

"Sure is."

"What about this election business? Any problems?" Link asked.

"I don't sweat it. I just do what Da'an told me to: Feign interest and work on the real problem at hand," Augur said, but he and Link had to cut off the conversation when Liam marched out of the room from frustration. Therefore, Augur switched to a different topic. "What about you and Da'an? Have you…you know…?"

"A good man does not kiss and tell," Link said.

"I respect that," Augur said. _Meaning they haven't_.

"Why do you want to know so much about me and Da'an anyway?" Link asked. "What, where you a paparazzo in another life?"

Augur put his hands up innocently. "I don't mean any harm, but in case you didn't notice, I'm usually out of the loop when it comes to the goings on outside. I have a natural lust for gossip."

"Oh, so you're one of _those_ kinds of guys," Link said with a cruel wink.

"No!" Augur cried defensively. "I'm not a pervert. I'm just curious."

"You like to people-watch, then," Link surmised.

"Exactly."

"But you also have an unhealthy fancy with making holographic AIs of women you're attracted to," Link said.

"I already told you I was sorry about the holo-Da'an," Augur said. "It's not like I let anyone see her."

"I know exactly what you're talking about. You have the same type of fancy for females that most men do with actresses or models. However, your knack for technology and otherwise geek-like nature makes you kick it up a notch and create holographic programs instead of keeping pictures. Your attractions are also not so much to the women's bodies and features so much as they are to their intellect. You're intrigued by women who can one-up you, per se."

Augur's mouth dropped. "Wh-Who are you? The reincarnation of Freud?"

"Oh, far from it," Link said. "I'm just telling you that I understand why you create these holo-women."

Augur rolled his eyes.

"Look, I'm not out to judge," Link said. "As long as you don't act on the fantasy, I couldn't care less whether or not you're attracted to my girlfriend. It's the predatory nature of the beast."

"Thanks…I guess," Augur said hesitantly. _Is he trying to attack my manhood? _When Link said nothing to him for a long time, Augur looked down to his computer screen and began to work.

"So tell me this, Augur," Link said suddenly in a casual tone. "Why _is_ it that the amount of holo-personalities you've created has grown in the past few months?"

Augur darted in Link's direction. Link had re-opened his book, but he was not actually looking at the words. His face was down, but his eyes were pointed directly at Augur. No one had looked into Augur's eyes so dead-on for a long time.

"I don't know," Augur said, shaking his head.

"We're just selfish sometimes," Link said quickly.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Augur asked sharply.

"There's just no substitute for the real thing," Link said.

"Are you trying to insult me?"

"What do you think?" Link asked back.

Augur sighed. "Sometimes I don't get myself. But that doesn't mean I'm not comfortable. I just get displaced sometimes. It happens to everyone. Da'an kinda put me in the right direction. Is that wrong?"

"It's wrong if it's coming from the wrong place, and I think you know what I'm talking about," Link said.

"No. I _don't_ know."

Link sighed. "Let me put it this way: until now you were a one-holo-girl man. And that holo-girl was always Lili."

"That's not true. There was that girl I was dating for a while…until she dumped me for that medical student," Augur said, grumbling the last part.

"You knew Lili was alive long before she died," Link said. "You had all those holo-women long ago. You originally did it as a gimmick. But Lili was different. She was something special. You loved her."

"Yes…I did," Augur said.

"So how come you never renewed her programming when you knew she was alive?" Link asked tonelessly.

"I…" Augur tried to say. "I…guess it was because…it didn't feel the same. When you go for so long thinking someone's really dead, you just get used to the idea. Plus…I just didn't want to confuse Ariel. It'd be a tad discomforting to have a holographic interface of your dead mother walking around."

"Makes sense, but I think there's something more to it," Link said.

"Oh really? And what's that?"

"Guilt," Link said.

"What?" Augur asked in confusion.

"Think about it. After Lili died, you made it your mission to go with Da'an to Jaridia. Then, you convinced Da'an to take care of Ariel, Lili's daughter. I won't even bother to mention that incident where you tapped into Da'an's frequency in the Commonality and turned her into an Atavus beast just because you were jealous when Lili told you they shared. Now, you've made a holographic version of Da'an, a holograph to whom you devote the most time out of all your other holo-women."

"What are you trying to say?"

"I'm saying that your devotion to Da'an and our cause is exceptional, but don't think we both haven't noticed it as your desperate attempt to carry a piece of Lili with you."

"You've got it all wrong. You don't know what you're talking about."

"Don't I?" Link asked dropping his Brooklyn accent entirely. "Da'an thinks that your devotion can be used to our advantage. But I need a little bit more convincing."

"Don't do this to me right now."

"All your life you've followed the orders of others because you either feel like you owe them something or because they owe you. Your subservience to Da'an is out of an unrequited love you felt for Lili and your desperation to cling to the remnants of that relationship. I also happen to believe it's out of some kind of jealousy you feel for Da'an, a jealousy that an alien like her can have a stronger and more transcendental bond with Lili than you'll ever have. And that's why I'm trying to caution you. Da'an's told me about the ramifications of her visions. I know it's not my place to care, but I don't want to see someone as smart and as interesting as you get caught up in those ramifications out of personal spite or affected obligation. We're all going to have to be able to live with ourselves when this is all over. Will you be able to when you realize you got yourself involved out of something artificial or despondent?"

Augur sighed.

"My advice to you is this: Don't get involved any further in this because you feel like you have to. Get involved because you _want_ to. As easy as it is to believe otherwise, you _do_ have a choice. And choosing to obey Da'an's orders is a lot easier on your conscience than feeling forced to obey. It may not seem like it now, but the consequences of your choice will be much easier to deal with. So, Marcus 'Augur' Devereaux, never mind what Da'an wants you to do. What do _you_ want to do?"

Augur wanted to shut out everything Link was telling him, but he could not shake the man's words. They had filled him with doubt and fear. Was Link right? Had Augur turned himself into an ignorant slave out of grief or spite? When he looked down at his keyboard, he found his finger pressing hard against the control key. He had barely even noticed the mechanical sound the computer was making.

Link patted Augur's back, and then he closed his book. "Give it some thought, and take a break from your assignment while you do," he said, rising from his seat. He had regenerated his accent, and he gave Augur as subtle wink of confidence. "If Da'an can take a vacation, then so can you."

Augur could see why Da'an had fallen for that man. He had no idea what kind of secrets Link was keeping, but his loyalty was without question. Augur thought he had made his choice at the top of the Andes Mountains. He thought that he'd had his awakening that night. But the doubts Link had raised had him questioning his awakening. Had it been artificial? Maybe it was just one step. Something big was going to happen. Augur wanted to be a part of it, but that didn't mean that he _had_ to.

What was this strange spell Da'an and her followers had cast over him? It was like a chess game, but he could only see his own pieces. And the humor was not lost on Augur when he realized that all this time, he still wondered about Da'an and Ariel, where they were, and how they were doing.

* * *

As the ship landed on the blue planet Nye called home, bittersweet memories filled Da'an's mind. There were not just memories of the ritual. There were memories of a time long before that, a time when she had been so certain of herself. The planet Earth had shown her just how grossly misinformed of herself she had been. Now, she felt that same certainty. It was certainty of her goals and the direction of her ultimate destiny. However, she had fooled herself before. She had to be sure this was real this time. That was why she was here, but she would never relay that to Mi'en or Ariel.

Mi'en pointed out the spider-web-like structure of Nye's home to Ariel as she flew the shuttle in.

"Wow!" Ariel cried in awe. "Do they all have people in them?"

"They certainly do," Mi'en said.

"It sure doesn't look like it," Ariel said.

"Well, they're probably inside at mass or something," Mi'en chuckled. "You should strap yourself in now. We're about to land."

"Okay," Ariel said, retreating to her seat next to Da'an.

Da'an sighed and thought of the utter lunacy of the elections as if it were a distant memory. She'd had several thoughts like this since Link had saved her. It felt good to have control over her newfound powers of precognition, but it also felt strange at times. She chuckled. "A little universe unto itself. The information network is vast and infinite."

"Huh?" Ariel asked.

"Did you say something, Da'an?" Mi'en asked.

Da'an blushed, something she found that she had not done in a long time. "No. It's nothing."

The shuttle landed at the center of the spider web, in a giant Taelon-structured dome. When the shuttle doors opened, Da'an, Mi'en and Ariel found Nye and three others waiting for them. Two Da'an recognized and one Mi'en recognized.

Nye was wearing a ceremonial blue robe. She embraced Da'an when she emerged from the shuttle.

"You have had a long journey," Nye said during the embrace. "I have missed you."

"So much has happened," Da'an said after Nye let her go. "It is good to see you again, Nye."

"Mi'en, you look great," one of the cultists behind Nye said.

"Thank you, Po. I feel great," Mi'en said. "There's so much we have to talk about. Um, Da'an, do you mind if…?"

"Go ahead Mi'en," Da'an said. "I believe that Nye can take it from here."

Nye bent on her knee and smiled at the nervous little Ariel. "You must be the child I have heard so much about. You look very beautiful, _su'ki_."

"Thank you," Ariel said with a nervous smile.

"Ariel, this is Priestess Nye," Da'an said softly. "She is a good friend of mine." Da'an pointed at the two ministers behind her. "These two are Alo'in and Mem'na."

"It is good to see you again, Da'an," Mem'na said.

"We look forward to accommodating you and your parent, little _su'ki_," Nye said, pulling out a shiny crystalline substance from a pocket in her robe.

"Pretty!" Ariel said, taking the substance.

"Eat it," Nye said. "I trust you will find it quite appetizing."

Ariel instantly put it in her mouth. The substance melted quickly and trickled down Ariel's throat. "It's so sweet! It tastes like those seeds you gave me for the trip, mommy."

"Pomegranate," Da'an said.

"Yeah!"

"If you promise to behave, I will give you one every night," Nye offered.

"That would be great!" Ariel exclaimed. "I like this place, Mommy."

Da'an chuckled.

"Let me take you to your quarters," Nye said.

"Why don't you have Mem'na and Alo'in go on ahead?" Da'an said. "You and I have much to discuss."

Mem'na and Alo'in had already unloaded Da'an and Ariel's luggage. Da'an embraced Ariel and told her to be good to Mem'na and Alo'in. She told Ariel she would meet her in a few minutes.

"She is a very good child," Nye said, watching Ariel trot off with Mem'na and Alo'in.

"I still worry about her sometimes," Da'an said.

"I am sorry for what happened to Zo'or," Nye said, "but it was unavoidable."

"You could not resist reading my mind, could you?"

"A simple measure to see how much you have grown," Nye said.

"And now that you have, what words would you choose to describe and console me?" Da'an asked hollowly.

"There is no good word for what you were forced to endure," Nye said sympathetically. "Not even the ritual I put you through is so cruel."

"I feel that I am ready to move on with myself, but there is still one section of my past that remains unseen," Da'an said, "the most quintessential section of all."

"Then, you are not truly ready to move on," Nye said.

"Perhaps I am not, but that is one of the many reasons why I am here," Da'an said.

Nye nodded and motioned for Da'an to follow her inside the station. The station reminded Da'an of a smaller version of the Mothership's bridge. However, at the back of the station was a small cantina where Taelon civilians living with the cult communed. To the sides of the cantina were cubicles with luxurious seating furniture and tables that Da'an could only speculate were reserved for groups that wanted the privacy and lavishness of a lounge but the public setting of a cantina or club. Nye activated a virtual glass shield that was the only barrier between the goings on in the cantina and the small mini-lounge in which they had settled.

Nye and Da'an sat across from one another in blue cushioned chairs at a black warped looking table.

"Now," Nye said, "tell me of your experience."

Da'an removed the hairpiece that kept her hair in a bun and let her hair spread over her back. "There is not much to tell."

"You do not recall much?" Nye asked.

"No," Da'an said. "I recall everything."

"Then you have difficulty explaining it?"

"I do not believe it was meant to be explained," Da'an said with a wry grin. "I can only tell you that as a result of the ritual I am no longer the diplomat you once knew as Da'an nor the scientist you once knew as Ma'el."

"You consider yourself a blend of the two?"

"No," Da'an said. "I am neither nor am I both. I am the pieces of their shattered personalities rebuilt as a whole that is the few and far between of them. I have Ma'el's wisdom and Da'an's compassion. I have Ma'el's logic and Da'an's ingenuity. It is a strange phenomenon that manifested itself in Ma'el's powers, powers that have now become a part of me and have reformatted my personality."

"A second awakening then," Nye surmised.

"Call it what you'd like. The universe is vast and infinite."

"Of course!" Nye said. "A time-space phenomenon. It must have started when you first entered the labyrinth."

"Despite the obvious barriers in time, Ma'el and I shared the exact same experience in the exact same time frame," Da'an said, growing solemn in her tone.

"Could it be that the power of the gateway combined your minds for a short period of time? You and Ma'el were in the same place in the relative time of the universe. It was as if you were physically together."

"That is one theory at least," Da'an said skeptically. Even if Nye's theory was true, this was not what Da'an had come to talk about.

"You are sad," Nye said. "I feel it in your mind."

"He told me that he died in mourning for me," Da'an said, trying to hide her sadness from Nye with her voice. "I now understand what he meant."

Nye lifted Da'an's head and gazed deeply into her eyes. Even her eyes were trying to hide it, but nothing could keep Da'an from feeling it. Nye could tell this was a difficult subject to deal with, one of the few Da'an did not want explained or analyzed. "I am sorry Da'an. It is only that…I never knew…just what happened."

"I do not believe I ever missed him as much as I did then. Perhaps it was that longing…for the only family I had left…that kept me inside the shell that drove me mad. After I lost Zo'or, I don't think there was any other course left for me."

Nye took Da'an's hands and placed them on her cheeks. "But you still have a family. You have your half-brother, Tay'jay."

"A brother from which I have been estranged for hundreds of years."

"As long as you were apart from Ma'el."

"As payment to become the silent enforcer that made me a legend among my kind."

"Da'an, you are loved by many unconditionally," Nye assured. "There are two different kinds of families out there: the family that created you and the family you create yourself."

"I have both," Da'an said, "but Tay'jay is all that remains of family that created me."

Nye shook her head. _That is not true._

* * *

Renee and Hubble were dancing together at a charity ball to country music, a genre to which Renee was extremely unfamiliar. She had never found herself counting her own steps until now, but Hubble seemed to enjoy his opportunity to educate her. The country club they were at had been designed to look more like a ranch. They were raising money with a grassroots group that supported the ANA's candidates in Kansas.

Renee found the southern-style clothing a little too much. Her corset was hurting her waist and her heart was pounding from the fast-paced dancing she was doing. However, Renee believed that her exhaustion had more to do with all the traveling she had done. She should have been used to working this hard, but she supposed she never did. All this time she thought only of getting back with Liam. The men she had to deal with were so shallow. All they saw were their insipid egos. Renee wondered if many of these candidates were even worth the effort. Many had only given their words, and words did not count for much in the world of politics.

"Hey, Hubble," Renee said breathlessly. "I need a drink."

"I thought you'd never ask," Hubble said just as breathlessly. "Let's go."

"You know what?" Renee suddenly said once they had reached the bar. "I have to make a quick visit to the ladies room. Could you…?"

"No problem," Hubble said. "Rum and coke?"

"No ice," Renee nodded.

Renee hurried into the restroom and immediately splashed water all over her face, smudging her makeup. She let down her hair that had been pinned up and curled. Thoroughly, she examined her features. She was wearing an old southern belle's dress that was riddled with frills and white in color. Her back was killing her. She had no idea who had decided on a plantation-style costume ball, but she really wanted to kill that person right now. She immediately began unzipping her dress and untying her corset. After several minutes of hell, it finally came loose letting her breathe again.

She saw that her normally cream-colored skin had become damp red. She gave herself some time to breathe the crisp air conditioning, letting it dry her skin. Then she went to work reapplying her makeup. A loud banging interrupted her train of thought, and the sounds of rapid footsteps make her heart jump. When she checked the mirror for another distraught woman, she found a man.

"Oh God!" he cried sheepishly. "I'm so sorry. I thought this was the men's room."

"Oh, it's okay. You just startled me," Renee said. "Go ahead. I don't think there's anyone else in here."

"No…you look like…you're in the middle of something," he said hesitantly. "I'll just find the men's room."

Renee in a confused state checked the mirror and remembered that her corset was hanging wide open exposing her bare back. She immediately used her dress to cover it.

"I'm really sorry," he said darting out of the room.

"Jesus," Renee breathed. As she caught her breath, she found her skin red once more. She shook her head and began re-tying her corset. "Goddamn it!" She would need help re-tying the corset.

To her luck, the male dashed back into the restroom. "I'm really sorry, but I can't find the men's room, and I really need to go." He slammed the door to one of the stalls. Seconds later Renee heard a groan of relief. She laughed.

"I hear you laughing out there, Victoria's Secret," the man's voice said. "You think this is pretty funny."

"Well…" Renee giggled, still trying to re-tie her corset.

She heard the toilet flush, and then he joined her by the sink to wash his hands. Renee decided to finish re-applying her makeup.

"Hey," the guy suddenly said once he finished washing his hands. "I know you. Renee? Renee Palmer?"

Renee took a closer look at this man. He had strawberry blond hair and green eyes. His skin was cream-colored like hers. Renee estimated that he was in his mid-thirties, but those dimples around his cheeks made him look like he was in his late twenties. He was wearing an old southern gentleman's tuxedo. It was the man's thick eyelashes that clicked Renee's mind. She remembered being jealous that a man could be blessed with such thick and naturally curled eyelashes.

"Bill? Bill Frit?" Renee asked.

"That's me," he said. "I didn't recognize you at first with curly hair."

"Oh, so it was the hair and not this hideously ugly and uncomfortable dress?"

"Yep, it was definitely the hair, and call me Billy."

"Billy it is. Look, I know this sounds really unconventional, but would you…um…tie my corset?"

Billy chuckled. "Never said no to a woman yet."

Renee shook her head at the situation. What were the odds that she would meet a fellow colleague of hers here?

"So what brings you here?" Renee asked. "I know it can't be for Doors International."

"No, Kansas City's my hometown," Billy said. "I came to support my candidates. What about you? Last I checked everyone from Doors International's on the other side. Wait. You're not an ANA are you?"

"Guilty," Renee said.

"Really?" Billy said. "So what's a girl like you got against the Taelons?"

"It's not the Taelons I'm against. It's their current policies," Renee said.

"Then you of all people should be glad that Zo'or's gone and the priests are here."

"You can never be too careful with the Taelons. Having worked so closely with them, I know that. We just want to make sure we're not giving up Zo'or for Zo'or."

"Then, you're not here for the candidates? You're just here for the ANA."

"I'm trying to be neutral through all of this," Renee said. "I'm just trying to be supportive of the ANA."

"Sounds a lot like me," Billy said. "That's why I'm here too. I really don't care who wins. They're all the same, I've learned. But Lane Conrad is an old frat buddy of mine and when he asked for a small contribution to his cause, I had to help him out."

"It's good that you're helping out an old friend."

"Thanks," Billy said. "That's it. You're done."

"Oh, wow," Renee said. "I can actually breathe. What did you do?"

"Skip a hole when you tie a corset. It feels looser. A little secret my mama taught me," Billy said. "She was one of those women who believed wearing corsets could help you lose weight."

"Get out of here," Renee laughed. "Did it work?"

"She's got a permanently hour glass-shaped body. 'Course she can't eat too much anymore," Billy said humorously. "But overall, she's still a healthy girl."

The two chuckled together for a few moments, but then Renee knocked her hand against the table. "Crap! I forgot about Hubble!"

"Yeah, we probably shouldn't spend the rest of the party stuck in a bathroom," Billy said. "Come find me during a slow dance."

"Thanks," Renee said. "I'll do that."

Billy held the door for Renee and followed her outside. She searched for Hubble and found that he had left the bar. Immediately, Faith Hill's "Breathe" began to play. Renee scoffed humorously when she found Billy standing next to the DJ.

Billy's eyes made contact with hers. He sashayed his way towards her and took her gloved hand. "May I have this dance?"

"You couldn't resist, I see," Renee chuckled.

"It was my mother's favorite song," Billy said.

"Again with the mother story," Renee said. "Don't think I don't know what you're doing."

"Ah, you know what it's like just as well as I do," Billy said, leading her back to the dance floor. "When you work all hours around the world for a company this big, it's hard to maintain a long-lasting relationship."

"Yeah, well, watch out because I hear workplace romances never work out," Renee warned.

"Oh, this part is the best!" Billy said pulling Renee in close and listening to the refrain of the song.

Renee had to laugh. As they turned to the rhythm, she saw Hubble sitting at a table flirting with a blond woman. She had to shake her head. _Have fun, Hubble._

Billy and Renee danced through several more songs before it was finally time for the candidates to give the closing speeches and announce how much money they raised. Renee was just happy that this would be the last stop on the campaign tour. Then, she could return to Liam and focus on what really mattered.

When it was over, Renee introduced Billy to Hubble, who appeared suspicious of the young CFO.

"It's nice to meet you," Hubble said shaking hands with Billy. "Renee can I talk to you for a second?"

"Sure," Renee said.

He pulled her aside. "I missed you when you went to the restroom. How long have you been flirting with this guy?"

"Flirting?" Renee scoffed. "Oh, please. He's just a co-worker."

"I don't need you disappearing for a long time going off with some guy," Hubble said. "People get the wrong impression."

"Oh, like the impression I got with that pretty little blond you were sharing a drink with?" Renee shot back.

"What? That was Carol!" Hubble protested. "She's the wife of a good friend of mine, a friend who _supports_ the ANA."

"Oh, so just because I mingle with a colleague at work, I'm suddenly a traitor?" Renee cried. "Hubble, I'm a big girl. I know what I'm doing. I've been on this tour just as long as you have and I can handle myself. Now, let's just go. I'm tired."

"You're coming back to the hotel with me. I don't even want you giving that man a 'good day.' "

"What is your problem? Have you been drinking?"

"Of course I've been drinking! We've all been drinking! But that doesn't mean you can act like a slut to every guy you meet from work."

"Excuse me?" Renee said firmly. "I'm going to take that as the liquor talking. I worked just as hard as you on this campaign and I'm just as passionate about getting our supporters through as you do, but don't you dare confuse that with me being loose. I especially don't need to hear that from you, a man who's flirted with at least one woman in every state for the past four weeks. Why don't you tell me what _you_ were doing all those nights at all those hotels? How many females' phone numbers have _you_ collected?"

"Just get in the car and let's get out of here," Hubble said.

"Screw you!" Renee yelled, and she pushed past him.

"Hey! Don't you walk out on me, Renee! Not now! I need you!" Hubble yelled.

"Whoa what happened?" Billy asked as the frustrated Renee walked towards him.

"Oh, don't worry about," Renee said, brushing her shoulder. "My colleague's drunk, and he's taking it out on me."

"I see," Billy said. "Well, why don't you just come with me? I can have my driver take you back to your hotel."

"Thanks," Renee said, and she followed him to his car.

The driver of Hubble's limo met him to open the door. He was very scrawny looking driver with an unusually large nostril. Hubble did not remember seeing him before, but he also remembered that he never paid much attention to his drivers. "Are you all right, sir? Where's Miss Palmer?"

"She went back to the hotel," Hubble said.

"She's going with someone else?"

"Yes. Listen, I need you to do something for me," Hubble said, pulling him close so that he could whisper. "Could you wait by the door after you drop me off and make sure she gets in all right?"

"Um, yes, sir," the driver said.

While they were on their way to the hotel, Billy regaled Renee with stories about his and Conrad's escapades. None of them struck Renee as particularly funny. The only one that came close to funny happened when Billy and Conrad were at a bar watching a Pa'dar match when they used to be popular. Conrad and Billy were wearing different jack patches for the different warriors. Conrad was so drunk that he thought his warrior had won. When Billy had to break the news to him that his warrior had lost, Conrad smashed his jack patch saying it was jinxed as if the jack patch was responsible for the loss. Both of them ended up getting thrown out.

Renee was expecting a punch line at the end, but when none came, Renee laughed anyway out of politeness.

"Well, this is my stop," Renee said as the driver pulled into the Four Seasons rotunda.

"Wait, let me take you to your room," Billy offered.

"No, that's not necessary," Renee said.

"Oh, come on. I couldn't call myself a gentleman if I didn't at least make sure you get inside okay," Billy said.

Renee laughed. "Okay, sure. But I'm telling you. I'm fine."

When they reached the elevator, they found Hubble in a lounge room talking with some associates who were staying in the same hotel. Suddenly, a wicked idea emerged in Renee's head.

"So that's Hubble Urick," Billy said. "I heard people are calling him the next president of the United States."

"Yeah, and he thinks that because of that he can have any woman he wants," Renee said mischievously.

"Renee Palmer, are you getting an idea?" Billy asked playfully.

"Normally, I wouldn't do this because it's so childish, but…I'm drunk and I'm in the mood for a little fun," Renee said. She placed her arms on Billy's shoulders and let him pull her close. Renee burst out laughing in her mind at Hubble's jealous stares at what he thought was them kissing.

Renee immediately pressed the elevator button. While they waited, the two groped and giggled sweet nothings at each other. When the elevator finally opened, Renee sealed the pride-insulting scene by lustfully pulling Billy into the elevator. When it was closed, Billy and Renee burst out laughing.

"Did you see the look on that pompous bastard's face?" Billy cried.

"He's probably not going to talk to me for a week," Renee giggled.

They were still laughing about it when they reached Renee's floor and made it to her suite.

"Well, I had a great time with you tonight, Miss Palmer," Billy said.

"So did I," Renee said. "Maybe I'll see you at work sometime."

"Oh, I'm sure you will," Billy said with a grin. "You'll at least see me at the shareholders meeting next week."

"That's true," Renee said, completely oblivious to the fact that she was blushing. She inserted the key card to her room, but Billy was the one who opened the door when it unlocked. She walked inside, but she did not expect Billy to follow her. "Uh…would you like a drink?"

"Sure," Billy said. "I need to use your bathroom anyway."

Renee laughed and opened her mini-bar to pull out a small bottle of wine. She strutted to the cabinet, pulled out two glasses, and strolled to the sofa. When Billy was done, she had already plopped down on the sofa. Billy sat next to her, but the two did not say anything to each other. Instead, Renee poured them both a drink. When she sat back to hand him his glass, she found one of his arms around her.

"Oh, God," she gasped. "Um, Billy…I…"

Billy slipped in for a kiss, but Renee turned her head away.

"Billy," Renee said pulling his arm off. "I don't want you to get the wrong impression with this. This is…just a drink among friends…I hope. I'm seeing someone."

Billy sighed. "I-I know."

"You know?"

"I mean I…well, how could you not be seeing someone? I'm sorry, Renee. I don't know what I was thinking."

Now Renee felt bad. "Would you like to watch a movie or something with me?"

"No," Billy said drinking his wine. "It's okay. I've gotta get back. I had a nice time, Renee. I'll see you at work."

"Billy, I've hurt you," Renee said. "I'm so sorry."

"No, it's okay," Billy said, holding his hands up. "I'm serious. You didn't do anything wrong. I'm the one who was wrong."

"Billy—"

"Renee," Billy said with a smile. "Think…nothing…of it."

Renee sighed with relief.

"Um, you know if it doesn't work out—"

"That's the line!" Renee cried playfully.

"You gave it to me," Billy joked. "I had to take it. I'll be seeing you."

"Bye," Renee said as he opened the door and trotted outside. "Oh, and Billy?"

"Yeah?"

"Your fly's open."

Billy burst out laughing and zipped his fly. Then, he pretended to go in the wrong direction before he galloped back to the elevator.

"Crazy," Renee laughed. She closed the door and began the daunting process of getting out of her costume, glad to have her last night of tireless campaigning end on a high note.

* * *

"So yesterday was Renee's last day, right?" Tay'jay asked Liam after they had finished their political science debate.

"Yeah, thank God," Liam said. "I tried calling her, but I guess it was too late. She didn't answer her global. I'm just looking forward to seeing her when she gets home this evening."

"I still can't believe you let Renee loose with Hubble for that long," Link said passing the group by.

"Believe me, if I had a choice I wouldn't have," Liam said. "That's got to be as entertaining as watching paint dry."

"Yeah, maybe if _you'd_ been there," Tay'jay laughed wryly.

"Shut up!" Liam cried, pushing Tay'jay.

"Hey, you should be proud," Tay'jay said innocently. "You snagged the perfect catch. Renee's rich. She's probably got other assets."

"Oh, God," Liam muttered. "Look, I love Renee because she's smart, fun, witty, and…"

"Rich," Link said quickly.

"No! Renee doesn't need to be rich for us to be together."

"Liam, I'm gonna let you in on a little secret about rich women like Renee," Tay'jay said. "You know, the 'love 'em and leave 'em' business tycoonesses that flaunt their sexuality but then get all pissy when you hit on 'em."

"Tay'jay! That's so sexist!" Street said in shock.

"Pipe down, junior. The grown ups are talking," Tay'jay said back.

Street scoffed.

"Look, women like Renee are always lookin' for the bigger, better deal. It's not that Renee doesn't love you. I'm sure she does, but it's in her nature to leave you for another guy. She can't help it. I'm sure she's got a whole plethora of broken hearted men she's left behind, ninety percent of them ten times the man you'll ever be. She's riddled with commitment issues."

"Commitment issues?" Liam asked in outrage. "Well, what about you, Tay'jay? Over two-thousand years and you don't have one woman to call your own."

"How do you think I know about Renee?" Tay'jay asked back.

"And for that matter, what about Link and Da'an?" Liam asked, darting a sneer in Link's direction.

"What about us?" Link asked defensively.

"You've been going out for months, you're raising Ariel together, but you two still won't get married."

"Whoa! Da'an and I are a whole different ball game," Link said. "You don't just go out with an alien for a few months and then suddenly ask her to marry you. Besides, from what Tay'jay tells me, Taelons don't believe in marriage."

"Oh, don't get me started on that nightmare!" Tay'jay said.

"How can you call marriage a nightmare?" Street asked. "Marriage is supposed to be a union between two people who love each other."

"Oh yeah?" Tay'jay asked sardonically. "Would _you_ ever get married?"

"What!" Street scoffed. "Hell no! Eww! Stay with one man for over fifty years? You've gotta be kidding me!"

"That's right. So imagine if you had to stay with that one person for at _least_ three thousand years," Tay'jay shot back. "Yeah, Liam. We'll have Link and Da'an go ahead and give that a shot. You'll still be around about a hundred years later. Da'an can call you and tell you how they're doin'."

Street laughed. Even Augur, who was still huddled behind his computer laughed a little.

"I guess I never thought of it that way," Street said still giggling at the mental picture in her head. She pictured Da'an with ten children running around dressed in a housewife's clothing with a wrap around her head and a broom in her hand nagging at Link, who was in a wife-beater tank and thirty pounds heavier, to get a better job.

"Besides, Da'an and I don't need some lousy ring to let us know that we care for each other," Link said. "That seems to be your department, flyboy."

"What are you talking about?" Liam asked.

"Do I have to say it more than once? Renee's not exactly the committed type," Tay'jay said. "She's got a notorious reputation for treatin' and streetin' guys in less than a month. That's why you never let a woman like that loose with a bunch of upstanding, cute men. It's like sending a kid to a candy store and then hoping he doesn't steal anything."

"You should've gone with her," Link agreed. "If Jennifer Aniston had played it smart and gone with Brad to all of his shootings, they'd still be together today."

"Even if I believed Renee had commitment issues—which I don't!—it's probably because of something that happened when she was young," Liam said. "I know that she had trouble keeping her friends when she was little, but she's different now."

"Yeah, I'll bet she feeds that line to everyone," Tay'jay said.

"Tay'jay, please stop pissing off Liam," Augur called from his desk.

"It's not like I'm deliberately trying to break the two up," Tay'jay said. "I'm just trying to teach Liam to be smart about his woman. I've seen the way Hubble looks at Renee. He's been waiting for the opportunity to get that girl alone for the past six months. Now he's finally got it because Kincaid's too trusting, him and a whole line of eligible rich businessmen that we probably haven't even dreamt of. Did my sister's betrayal teach you nothing, young Padawan?"

"Link just let Da'an loose on a vacation to God-knows-where," Liam said.

"Whoa, Liam! That's a whole different thing," Augur chimed in.

Link rolled his eyes. Liam obviously still wasn't getting it.

"Oh yeah? How so?"

"First of all, Da'an's not the type to run around with any man she pleases," Augur said. "She proved that back on Jar—I-I mean when she went crazy. When she went crazy. That is what I said."

Tay'jay rolled his eyes and shook his head.

"Err, secondly, Da'an's got the kid and Mi'en with her. It's like having Link with her. She's not gonna do anything stupid in front of them."

"Add the fact that acting like a total skank is completely out of Da'an's nature," Street said.

"_Et tu_, J. Street?" Liam groaned.

"I…only meant in an undercover setting," Street said innocently.

"Listen to me carefully. Renee is not a booty call," Liam declared. "She loves me, and I love her. She's it for me, and I'd think that you guys of all people would understand that."

"Of course we understand, Liam," Link said. "That's the whole point. We're not trying to hurt your relationship. We're trying to help it. Don't get me wrong. Much of a long-lasting relationship is love, but it's also about usin' your brain."

"Doesn't seem to be Kincaid's strong suit," Tay'jay said.

"It used to be," Augur muttered.

Suddenly, Ma'ri burst into the room. "Guys," she panted. "Put it on Extra! There's something on the news! Something about Renee!"

Liam immediately turned on the big screen.

"Our top story this morning, is Renee Palmer a slut?" the male co-anchor said. "We now go live to Janice Jeffrey who has found a new campaign ad that may say 'yes.'"

"What the…!" Liam cried.

"Before now," the female anchor began, "Renee Palmer, the attractive CEO at Doors International whose fame skyrocketed after her work with recently deceased North American Companion Da'an on the Mneme project, was the poster child for the Atlantic National Alliance, an international coalition of countries that gained world-wide support after the suspect death of Da'an and the Taelon priests' exposé on the criminal behavior of now-deceased Taelon Synod Leader Zo'or. The ANA has traveled all around the country gaining national support for congressional candidates in favor of passing a policing policy against the Taelons. Rumors of inappropriate behavior on Renee's part in the office and along the campaign trail have always followed the CEO but were for the most part considered an unfounded nuisance. However, the Internet release of a new campaign ad by Democratic senatorial candidate Lane Conrad's strongest rival, Bob Stanson, has many people wondering if there isn't some truth behind those rumors."

Liam's heart sank to his feet as he saw the pictures of Renee groping a mysterious man at a hotel flash on the screen and the derogatory words describing and denouncing the activities. The man's face had been completely blacked out, but the implied meaning of their gestures was as plain as day.

"The commercial is said to be just one in a series released to Stanson, he claims, by a pro-Taelon PAC. He also says the tapes were released to him because out of all the pro-Taelon candidates running for office in the state of Kansas, he has been the most outspoken. Other commercials are scheduled to air as early as tomorrow morning. We'll bring you further reports as they come."

Street and Augur's mouths dropped open.

"Holy crap," Link said in such a shock that he actually started laughing.

"And you are outta here!" Tay'jay exclaimed to Liam throwing his arms like an umpire.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two: On the Issue of Promiscuity

"What the hell is the matter with you?" Hubble yelled, throwing the footage of the newscast across the room. "You recklessly compromised over three months worth of campaigning, lobbying, and brownnosing on my and the rest of the ANA's part!"

"For the last time, nothing happened," Renee argued in an annoyed tone.

"Not according to that!" Hubble yelled pointing to the wrecked disk that had smashed against his bookshelf. "Not to mention that lewd display you and your 'colleague' made by the elevator! You were toying with me! You were toying with me and this is the result! You arrogant little slut!"

"What the hell is the matter with _you_? I thought I could rely on you at least to help defend me."

"That was before you went prancing around the streets like a background dancer in a rap video just to spite me!"

"Is that what you call this?" Renee cried. "_You_ were toyed with? My _life_ was toyed with. My reputation is on the line, and all you can think about is yourself and this miserable little campaign."

"Little? This campaign could mean the difference between humanity's life and its extinction! Or have you been spending too much time with that traitor Da'an!"

"You leave her out of this," Renee said, her voice suddenly low and looming. "You were the one begging God to kill her when she nearly lost her mind, and you're calling _her_ a traitor. Now, this is my mess, and I'll clean it up myself."

"That's right," Hubble said just as lowly, so close to Renee by now that the woman could smell the tobacco from the cigar he had been smoking just before he found out about this scandal. "Because from now on, you're on your own. I won't be here to help you, nor will anyone else in the Atlantic National Alliance. Consider yourself on indefinite suspension. Now get the hell out of my office."

Renee marched out of the office, ignoring the assistants' stares as she left the White House with a secret service agent.

"And so it begins with a woman," Tay'jay said. "Why is that always the way it goes?"

"Because we still live in an age where men get their way by picking on the most vulnerable target," Street said bitterly.

"You know, when you make statements like that you pass yourself off as in _favor_ of male chauvinism," Link noted.

"Look, don't worry about Renee," Augur said. "She's a big girl. This is obviously a desperation move on the priests' part."

"If you're stupid enough to believe that, then you _will_ lose the elections," Tay'jay said. "You idiots should've seen this coming. Didn't you guys think to get plumbers?"

"Plumbers?" Street asked.

"Image consultants, rough-housers, and bribers," Augur explained. "People who can plug leaks before they become a big problem like this."

"As much as I'd hate to admit agreeing with Tay'jay right now, he's absolutely right," Link said. "I'm not saying the priests are directly responsible for this, but whoever did it had this planned for a while. Look at the footage of the tape just before we see the pictures and the video of Renee. Any idiot can tell that was pre-recorded. And the fact that people still play on the stereotype that successful, ambitious women don't get anywhere without sleeping their way to the top wasn't lost on these people either. All they needed was a mole. The right kind of photographer in the right place at the right time to take the pictures, send it to a studio, and wait for the money to poor in."

"And a graphic designer and editor who obviously haven't slept in a month," Augur added. "Tabloids do it all the time now. They have paparazzi follow celebrities to places where they know trouble can crop up. The paparazzo takes pictures with his global and uploads the footage on the same night. The next day, it's on every electronic newsstand in America."

"Ah, the sweet age of information," Tay'jay said. "This takes me back. If anyone needs me, I'll be in the barracks. The guys are probably having a field day with this right now."

"Them, and every newspaper, magazine, website, and broadcast station in America right now," Link said. "And whoever's responsible picked the perfect time to do it. Not too early so that people would forget it when they went to the polls, and not too late when people have already made their decisions."

Link's global beeped.

"I don't believe this," Street said. "Liam must be going crazy right now."

"He'll be all right," Augur said. "He's a lot smarter and a lot stronger than a bunch of spin doctor cronies. He'll get past this."

The look on Street's face told Augur she was unconvinced.

"Maybe I should check up on him to make sure," Augur said to ease her doubts.

"Thanks," Street said.

"There'll be time enough for that later," Link interrupted. "Right now, we've got to report to Doors International. Renee just paged me. Apparently, Liam's not returning her phone calls anymore."

"'He'll be all right,' huh?" Street repeated cynically.

Augur could only shake his head with pity.

* * *

When Augur, Street and Link arrived at Renee's office, they came upon an astonishing sight. Renee was clearing her desk and everything else in her office.

"Renee, what's going on?" Street asked.

"What's going on is that you make one mistake and you pay for it for the rest of your life," Renee said in anger. "Thirteen years of working for this company. I scraped and scuffed my way through shoddy business dealings, eight sexist bosses, and an ass-load of paychecks that don't come anywhere near what the men in the same positions as me earned just so that I could be told that my lewd behavior is ruining the image this company's trying to set. Like any of those bastards on the board go home to their wives and kids and have steak dinners every night!"

"Whoa, slow down Renee," Link said. He tried to soothe her by taking her by the shoulders.

"Don't touch me!" she cried.

"Renee, clam down," Augur said. "We're your friends."

"Yeah that and a reason for my colleagues to send security tapes to the first reporter willing to buy them and put them on the cover of some supermarket magazine every time I make physical contact with the opposite sex!" Renee said rapidly, her voice growing louder with each passing word. "Close the door! And tell those bitches to stop whispering! Like I don't hear you!"

"Renee," Street said, taking the cardboard box from her hands to give Renee time to breathe. "What's wrong?"

Augur shut the door while Renee dropped into her chair and buried her head in her hands.

"Apparently the board had an emergency meeting. They're putting me on unpaid leave while they do damage control. Thirteen years of working for them and they didn't even bother with a phone call. They just had one of those measly secretaries tell me on my way to my office."

"Sheesh, and I thought my job was cruel," Link said to himself. "We're really sorry, Renee."

"At least they didn't fire you," Street said.

"Yet," Renee scoffed, her skin growing pinker and her grip around her eyes tightening. "Hubble's thrown me off the campaign and Liam won't even talk to me."

"You've still got us," Augur said.

Street, Link, and Renee glared at him.

"Look," Link said pulling up a chair next to her. "People are always looking for a reason to bring down the highest person in charge. It happens to every one of us. From the President of the United States to some lowly district manager in Texas, there's always people who are gonna be jealous of the guy in charge."

"I let my guard down for one second, and the ants just crawled all over me," Renee agreed. "I was so stupid. All of them watching me just waiting for me to screw up, and I played right into their hands. Now every relationship I've ever been in's going to fall under scrutiny. And since everyone I thought was my friend has turned their back on me, I'm powerless to do anything about it. This must be what getting raped feels like."

"I wouldn't take it that far," Street said. "We're your friends, and we're going to help you."

"And you're wrong about that not being able to do anything about this," Link said. "You can do plenty."

"Like what?" Renee asked, drying her tears.

"Aren't you forgetting?" Link asked. "I'm a private investigator."

"And Street and I are expert computer hackers," Augur said. "There's no reason why we can't find the bastards who did this and turn this bad press on them."

"And the best place to start is to find bastard number one: the guy who took those photos," Link said. "Let's take this to Augur's lair and get to work."

Renee recomposed herself and rose from her chair. "Let's get out of here."

Augur took Renee's things, and Link wheeled her chair behind the group as they left the office. When they reached the elevator, a familiar man stepped of with his own chair and his own set of things.

"Billy Frit?" Renee cried.

"I'm sorry about all this, Renee," Billy said.

"You son of a bitch," Renee breathed.

"I just got the call that I was getting promoted. I had no idea they were giving me your job," Billy said.

"Oh, so you and I have a little fling, I practically get fired, but you get a promotion," Renee said. "What, you lose your TV set and your computer go on the fritz at home? You knew about all of this, and you did nothing about it."

"Why are you getting so upset?" Billy taunted. "After all, weren't you the one you who said you wanted to be just friends?"

"Renee, let's get outta here," Link said.

"Oh, who's this?" Billy pushed. "Your newest trick? Looks like you'll be getting over this sooner than you think."

"I'm her lawyer, sir," Link lied, "and you'll do well to keep that potty mouth of yours shut, lest you want me to own you up to that verbal assault in court with a harassment charge."

Billy held his tongue and continued forward.

"This isn't over, Bill!" Renee cried. "This isn't over by a long shot!"

"Get in the elevator, Renee," Augur said, pulling her in. "He's not worth it."

* * *

"Day two in the Renee Palmer scandal has us located at Doors International in Washington, DC, where Renee Palmer has temporarily been replaced with CFO William Frit," a male reporter said. "So far Mr. Frit nor anyone else at Doors International is available for comment. However, one of them did make this statement over the phone: 'We at Doors International treat the sexual conduct of all our employees in and out of the workplace in all seriousness. We can only hope that Ms. Palmer's inappropriate conduct during this campaign will not reflect badly on our company.' "

Ma'ri turned off the television. She, Tay'jay and a group of Taelons and Espelons were watching the humans frantically calling hesitant candidates who had pledged their support. "Wow, I didn't know the behavior of a woman was such a big deal on this planet."

"You and me both, Su'ki," Tay'jay said.

"Look, Abby I know that you're busy, but I can't see what kind of harm it would do to give Renee an interview," Liam said over the phone.

"I really want to Liam, but my show is completely booked for the entire month," Abby Franklin said.

"But this is the perfect opportunity to get some popularity for your show," Liam said. "Right now, everyone's focusing on the negative of this. Why don't you wanna go down in history as the one reporter who gave Renee a chance to defend herself? I mean I'm sure there's a logical explanation for this."

"Liam, the story's a freak act," Abby protested. "I'm done with those days. After that report I did on the Taelon Mothership, my fame skyrocketed. I have my own show now and I've now been able to convince the producers to let me do the human interest stories that got me my reputation in the first place. I don't want to lose credibility with my viewers."

"But this _is_ a human interest story," Liam said. "It's the biggest human interest story."

"I don't have any liability when it comes to booking my guests Liam," Abby said. "Once I give my guests my word that they'll be coming on that day, I can't re-schedule. If these were just normal people and it had been a week ago, there'd be no problem, but I've already booked my show with congressional candidates and their families. I can't push back these people."

"Then, bring Renee on to the show with them," Liam said. "Turn it into a debate."

"I can't just put Renee on my show so that she can cry in front of the cameras and say she's guilty of no wrong," Abby said. "If you want gimmicks like that, go to Barbara Walters or Oprah."

"We've called them already," Liam muttered. "They haven't returned our messages. Please, just do this for me as a favor to a friend."

"It's going to take a lot more than your friendship to get her on this show. My producers—"

"Enough with the producers! Abby, I'm desperate. For once, could you just put the ratings aside and do the right thing?"

"I put aside the ratings and did the right thing when I kept your secret out of the public eye. I did it when I kept all that stuff about the first Jaridian replicant that killed Quo'on from getting out. Liam, It's sweeps month. I can't put Renee on the show without actual proof of any wrongdoing. I have to think about myself during sweeps. My job and the jobs of a lot of other people are on the line. If I go out as the one reporter who defended Renee without proof and she pulls a Clinton on me three weeks later, it's my ass on the line. I'm sorry, but without hard evidence it's out of my hands. Get the tapes that prove otherwise. Get the guy she was with to crack. Find someone at the hotel who saw what really happened. You get me the evidence, I'll try to save a spot for Renee on the show, but that's all I can do."

"Fine," Liam said in defeat. "Thanks anyway."

Ta'lay and a group of Espelons walked into the commotion looking for Tay'jay. "Trouble is paradise?" Ta'lay asked.

"Wasn't much of a paradise to begin with," Ma'ri muttered.

"Ta'lay, baby!" Tay'jay said, embracing her. "Hey, you're just in time for the Renee Palmer Show."

"The what?" Ta'lay asked. "What are you talking about?"

"Looks like Renee Palmer's the newest Monica Lewinsky," Ma'ri whispered. "And yet loverboy's still fighting to save her reputation. That's so sweet."

"Sarcasm doesn't become you, Ma'ri," Ta'lay said. "Tay'jay, I need to speak with you alone."

"Oh, well I'd love to but, uh, I wouldn't want to pass myself off as a hypocrite right now," Tay'jay said seductively.

Ta'lay giggled half-heartedly. "I have a king's ransom worth of very powerful sedatives in my ship right now," she whispered to Tay'jay in a menacing tone. "Do not compel me to use any of it."

"Let's take this outside," Tay'jay said sheepishly.

Liam sat back in his chair and sighed. "I don't believe it. I've called every reporter from coast to coast and not one of them wants to interview Renee right now. I can't believe this many people would turn on Renee after all the good she's done."

Nu'na scoffed. "Well, maybe she deserved it."

Liam darted a stabbing glare at Nu'na. "What the hell did you just say?"

"Why could you possibly be so pissed about this?" Nu'na asked. "That tramp's been prancing around this city, seducing poor, innocent men for your lousy Resistance, and wearing push-up, sleeveless, tight-ass clothing all over the place like an orgy on Miami Beach! She's spent all this time using her body instead of her brains to get ahead with the Resistance, and now we're suddenly supposed to believe she's a saint?"

"Those men were never innocent," Liam said with a hard roll of his eyes. "Renee's got a lot more going for her than just her looks."

The Espelons all burst out laughing.

"That sounds like an ugly endorsement," Ja'da cried.

"Why is it that a beautiful woman can't automatically be smart to you people?" Liam asked.

"Maybe it's because she ain't all that smart," Nu'na said. "I mean would you act like a total slut at a hotel in front of hundreds of respected individuals where you know there'd be cameras? But then, hey, if you wanna let your woman show her cleavage to every hot guy from here to Hollywood, that's none of my concern."

"I hate to admit it, Liam, but Nu'na's right," Ma'ri said. "I've seen the way Renee behaves in front of the men when there are lives on the line. Her philosophy seems to be when all else fails, use your breasts. I know all about the incident at Taelonville, Indiana. Heard that Renee broke you out of jail by slipping a pick in your mouth by kissing you in a real slutty dress. I'm not saying that a beautiful woman should dress conservative if she's smart. But there are two kinds of appearances in this world right now. There's classy and there's crassy. You'd think a Fortune 500 woman like her would behave with some kind of taste in the public and the private world. But as far as the private world's concerned, she's just another loose rabbit."

"That is not true," Liam scoffed. "Renee and I have the lives of thousands of Resistance fighters on the line. We do what we have to in order to keep those people alive."

"Okay, that explains the last three or four years or so," Nu'na said, "but how do you explain _that_?"

She was pointing to a breaking news story on E!.

"We have been Renee Palmer's closest associates and friends," a man in a suit with a crew cut said in front of the microphone. "How could you vultures not come to us for the real story? We've got the real dirt on Renee Palmer!"

"This was the statement from one of several men who have come forward saying that Renee Palmer seduced them and broke up their marriages because of it," a female announcer said. "Meet them here first and foremost on E! tonight at 8."

"Damn!" Tay'jay cried. "What the hell did I just miss?"

"Don't you people have anything better to do than watch tabloid networks ruin my life?" Renee asked harshly.

"I gotta get out of here," Liam sighed. He marched out of the room that had just fallen deathly silent.

Renee raced after him.

"Slut," Nu'na said sharply.

Renee whirled around and faced Nu'na with jaded eyes. "You know, Nu'na, for someone with no integrity, you talk a lot of shit."

"You know, Renee, for someone with such a prestigious Ivy League education, you don't seem to use it all that much," Nu'na shot back in the same menacing tone that Renee had used.

Renee huffed and began her march out of the room again.

"One of these days, you're gonna get date-raped, and I'm gonna laugh about it," Nu'na added along the way.

Renee stopped and clinched her fists ready to turn right back around and attack Nu'na. Had Nu'na said one more thing, she probably would have, but she decided that Nu'na was not worth the effort and she was already in enough trouble as it was. So when she kept walking, she didn't get a chance to hear Nu'na call her a coward.

Renee found Liam sitting in a water cooler lounge drinking a cup of coffee.

"Liam, I'm sorry—"

"How in the hell could you do this to me?" Liam asked her severely. "Just tell me right now, what was going through your mind when you danced with him and kissed him for the whole goddamn nation to see?"

"I thought that you, of all people, would be on my side," Renee said.

"I want to be on your side, Renee," Liam said, "but I need you to tell me everything that happened from the beginning."

"That's why I'm here," Renee said.

"I'm not just talking about the pictures," Liam said. "I'm talking about the other men, the rumors, everything."

Renee simply shook her head and left the room. Liam jolted after her and grabbed her.

"Where do you think you're going?"

"I don't have to listen to this," Renee said. "I don't have to listen to a man who trusts idle speculation before his own girlfriend. My God, Liam, I left Joshua for you."

"I just wanna be sure that I don't find him on the ten o'clock news talking about some hot steamy night in the hot tub at his ranch," Liam said.

"What is it going to take for you to believe that I love you? There was nothing going on between me and Frit," Renee said. "He came on to _me_. I pushed _him_ away."

"I'm not going to be a one night stand for you, Renee."

"You're not!" Renee cried. "Are you even hearing me?"

"Just give me some time, okay?" Liam said. He walked slowly back into the lounge.

* * *

In the silent, clear night, Da'an could hear the wind whistling through the cracks in the walls. Nye had picked a room that reminded Da'an so much of her old office on Earth that it seemed disturbing at times. The only difference was that in place of a chair and a desk for Liam, there was a flat bed with a mattress only about six inches thick that felt like an air mattress.

Ariel was curled up safely in Da'an's arms, moving only to turn away from some monster or other strange entity in her dreams. It was at times like this that Da'an was glad that her body was able to sense temperature changes. She never would have been able to feel the warmth coming from Ariel's body when she was a Taelon.

The room was surprisingly warm considering how windy it was outside and how high up the abode was, and the blankets were made of an alien mesh that was somehow self-warming and self-cooling depending on the conditions in the room. There was absolutely no reason why Da'an should not have been slumbering at that very moment, dreaming comfortably with her daughter. And yet Da'an could not so much as close her eyes. She gently removed herself from the bed, careful not to disturb Ariel. She tucked the child deep under the blanket and planted a kiss on her forehead. Then, she walked out of the room to search for that balcony she had passed on the way to her room. She found the little blue balcony next to one of the many daily worshipping areas. Nye was there, sitting cross-legged on a thin violet mat, meditating nude in her energy form. She seemed completely unscathed by the chilly wind running through her strands. Realizing that she had interrupted something important, Da'an left to find another spot.

Leaving so soon? Nye asked Da'an in Eunoia.

It is too cold out here anyway.

The cold is not something to fear. The cold is all the difference between a Taelon and an Espelon. It is a gift that should be embraced, not shunned.

Is that why you choose to sit nude within its embrace? Da'an taunted.

One of the reasons. However, it is a minor one. The major reason is my own.

I was not in judgment.

Nye rose and put on her robe. "Come sit with me."

Da'an perched herself on the balcony next to where Nye had seated herself. "Once the body adjusts to change, the cold is quite soothing."

"Warmth is never truly appreciated until it stands against the cold. This is why we should appreciate the cold. I find it quite interesting how people always prefer the warmth from the cold. Warmth is always associated with life and light. Cold is always associated with death and darkness."

"Perhaps that is because on land, the cold can kill plants. Perhaps if people thrived in the water, where life is still abundant in the cold, the symbolism would be different. In the seas, if the water temperature rises, plants and animals die. The closer you get to warmth, the more difficult it is to survive."

"A change in perception and point of view would do everyone some good."

"I think so too," Da'an said.

"So what keeps you from your rest tonight?" Nye asked. "Or have you decided against rest?"

"I used to, especially considering that I do not need it so much anymore. However, I have grown used to dreaming. I find that I like dreaming again. Therefore, I rest."

"Were you unable to dream tonight?"

"I believe so."

"Then, something must plague your mind. Is it about our conversation earlier?"

"Partially," Da'an said pushing herself off the balcony and using her telekinesis to land safely on the cold ground. Nye followed her and they walked outside along a dirt trail. "I have been using my powers to dig far back in the past for the last crucial piece of the puzzle, but I have trouble uncovering it. This should not be, and it worries me. I am wondering if there are some doors that have closed to me because of the madness I experienced. Perhaps I have an instinctual fear of delving too deeply now."

"That is not a negative thing, Da'an," Nye said, "and it is not fear that you feel. It is caution. Perhaps you require the help of another psychic, another telepath nearly as powerful as you, one who can guide you through the storm."

Da'an stopped. They had reached what appeared to be another worshipping area. This one had thin columns that acted as corners for a perfect square. Nye and Da'an were standing next to one. It was tall, blue and cylindrical with Taelon plants wrapped around it. There was heat emanating from the columns, which was obviously employed to keep the plants alive. The stone floor was actually one big mosaic pattern of the Taelon home world.

"Are you asking me about a sharing?" Da'an asked Nye.

"You believe it would be too dangerous?"

"I do not know. I doubt it, but…still…it is not that. It is something else. I am uncertain of my desire to revive those memories."

Nye led Da'an to the center of the mosaic circle. "Do you know what we do in this spot?"

"No," Da'an replied, examining the pattern.

"We do absolutely nothing," Nye said.

"But why?"

"Because this is considered sacred ground. It is our memorial to the home we once held so dear, the home we lost to centuries of senseless violence. Locked away in this sacred spot are all the fond memories we shared on that planet. We built this and now we preserve it as if it were a lifeline. It is as if the structure were a living organism, possessed with the souls of our departed loved one. No one is allowed to go near it because it could compromise the structure of the memory."

"What are you telling me?"

"Perhaps you are not afraid that you will not like what you uncover. Perhaps it is fear that you will compromise the integrity of those memories. Re-living memories through a different set of eyes—a different perception, if you will—may corrupt the memory and beget an abhorrence for what you once considered sacred and honorable."

"I am afraid that I abhor the priests?"

"You are afraid that you may abhor your entire species, the Taelon species of which you were once so proud."

"The species I once would have died to save. Yes. Were those memories truly that precious to me?"

"All of your memories should be that precious."

Da'an sat cross-legged and thought of the one exception to the gap, that peaceful memory she shared with Ka'fil under the starlight. "I must have loved someone."

"Or perhaps someone loved you," Nye said sitting in the same position, facing Da'an, "dearly."

Nye raised her hand to where it was level with her chest. It was glowing. Da'an hesitantly followed suit. The Taelon structures that surrounded them both were replaced with new ones. The most recognizable to Da'an was a gigantic blue bungalow. It warped its way upward like a fat spiral. At the topmost floor, Da'an remembered, was where the Synod held their meetings. It was the Taelon Citadel. It was the crown jewel in what was once the Taelon capitol, the closest the Taelons came on their planet to a metropolis. Inside, Da'an found herself in one of the majestic gardens at the bottom floor. This floor of the Citadel had to stretch at least a mile in length, and the gardens covered half of the floor. To any human, it would have been like walking through a thick jungle, a textured sea of pinks, purples, and violets. Da'an could actually feel the heat emanating inside.

Rapid images of Taelons walking through the garden and conversing bombarded the one still image of the garden. Da'an could hear the overwhelming voices in the background. Da'an remembered the words of her brother that only she could sort through the madness of these crisscrossing images and sounds. Slowly but surely, Da'an focused her mind and isolated the dialogues one by one. As the voices isolated themselves, the images slowed as well. She had no idea what she was looking for, but she knew she would find it if she concentrated enough. Eventually, she came to the image of her grandfather, Ka'li. He was talking to a priest.

I have served your purposes for several years, high priest. Surely, my loyalty, my name, and my position grant me an exception to this rule.

As peaceful as you appear on the outside, you are an arrogant child, Ka'li. Even if I wanted to, I can never grant you any special privileges. Da'an and Ma'el belong to me. You knew this the moment your child turned against them and they became the property of the Commonality. These children are not yours to own, even if you have grown attached to them, particularly to the quiet one.

My Da'an is not quiet. He is courteous. He knows when to listen and when to speak.

Those are qualities that I taught him, not you.

I was fine when you wanted to mentor him. I was fine when you wanted to oversee his schooling. I am fine with your desire to turn him into a priest. I know he would make a fine addition to your cause, but to rid him of all the precious memories we have shared together…I will not let you do this to him. No. Not my grandchild.

The child is sixteen. He is no longer your concern.

Then, assure me that you will return his memories to him in time. There is so much I have left to do with him.

I realize the enormity of what I ask you to do, but it is for the betterment of all Taelons. Da'an's mind cannot be corrupted by sentimental biases toward certain family members.

Correct me if I am wrong, but are those not the same biases that go toward your selection of potential priests?

You know what I am referring to. There will come a time when Da'an must learn to choose between the moral good and the greater good. How will his affection towards you affect his judgment?

You say this as if Da'an and I are destined to become enemies.

Your astounding devotion to him may bring you down that path. Emotions are a nuisance that all Taelons must learn to shed. They are a sign of immaturity and dependence. I have seen it time and time again, helpless Taelons falling victim to their pathetic sentiments. I would have thought that you of all people would agree with me…after the antics of your own child.

Bel'lie. I wish that I could share your beliefs, but I cannot. Emotions are not a foul tool so long as they are utilized wisely.

You are starting to sound like those so-called Liberated Taelons. Surely you do not agree with their evolutionary ideals.

It was an _Amo'qui_ scientist who discovered this path and brought it to the attention of the Commonality.

Oh, you arrogant _Amo'qui_! That scientist's path goes directly against the evolutionary path I have carved for the Taelon race, a path of which you should be more appreciative. After all, it is I and my breeding program that have won your family power and prestige.

Please do not misjudge me. I…believe in the path of the priests, but surely you are open to change when it comes.

The answer to your request is and always will be no, Ka'li. I have trouble enough keeping that father of yours under control. It is a terrible flaw that my descendants have been plagued with, to have such power and such defiance at the same time.

Defiance and power that stem from the original seed, high priest. You have found a way to strike a balance. You must be willing to—

Enough. Your children are no longer children. They belong to me. That was the agreement we reached, and you knew that I would hold you to it. Acquiesce your beloved grandchild as your father acquiesced you.

Yes…me, Ka'li said solemnly, but not my sibling.

The high priest sighed. You are a shining example of the _Amo'qui_ family and a powerful leader, Ka'li. The fact that Nye was born with psychic abilities and you were not should never be a stigma upon you. I sense that is one of the reasons you fight to keep your dear grandchild. You have experienced the burden of loss many times, in many forms.

I know…that it is not my place to beg of a promise from you, but please…

State your request.

If you promise me that Nye will take care of them…Nye and…my parent…I will cede them to you freely. I just want to be sure that they will always be cared for as I cared for them.

I am not your sentimental pushover, Ka'li. If you want Nye and Ka'fil to watch over them, it is your responsibility to go to them with that request. However, I urge you to be cautious in your ambitions. The role I am offering for Da'an is not for the faint of heart, and I will impede anything I see as a threat to that fulfillment on your part or any of my priests'. I will not have a revolution on my hands. I have enough troubles dealing with those Liberated Taelons.

Da'an pulled out of the memory, but instead of pulling away from the sharing, she dug deeper. She reached both ways at once in time from the memory. She moved further and further into the future and farther and farther into the past. Names and faces she had never recognized came to her like lightning. Little precious moments in time combined with crucial turning points—she was experiencing it all at once. She could feel the intensity of the sharing weighing down on Nye's mind, but she wanted more.

Hidden memories surfaced, memories of Taelons she had only read about in legends. Famous members of forgotten families to whom she never knew she had any relation; quaint stories of love and devotion; fierce stories of power and greed; and adventurous stories of heroism and sacrifice—what a vast and proud history her family had! She reached farther and farther outwards until, all of a sudden, the memories, the voices, and the images all stopped. She looked around and found herself standing in the same black space where she had found herself on the first night of the ritual of the blue rose. The crystalline liquid danced and distorted all the images as she walked on it. The ripples erased everything until there were only two beings left. They held their palms forward as if from a broken sharing. She was standing in between the two: the high priest and herself.

Before she could act anymore, the still images were reaped from her mind and she was back on the home world mosaic with Nye lying on her side, puffing from exhaustion.

Da'an instantly helped her sit back up and regain her composure.

"I have not had a sharing that intense in a long time," Nye breathed. "You are a gifted woman, Da'an."

"Why did no one ever tell me?" Da'an asked in a wounded tone. "Why didn't Ma'el…ever tell me?"

"As powerful as Ma'el was, there were some secrets even he could not pry from me," Nye said.

"Would you have spent the rest of your days never sharing this knowledge with me?" Da'an asked, trying to hold back the tears that were searing her eyes, fueled by the power of the cold. "Now, I know why you really left, and why Ka'fil gave me these." She pried the miniature glass figurines and waved them in front of Nye.

Nye grabbed them both and stared at them in miserable awe. "Where did you get these?"

"From my great-grandfather," Da'an said, standing to leave.

"Da'an, wait," Nye cried trying to stand, but realizing the difficulty of the task.

"You should have told me," Da'an said, her sorrow replaced with anger. "You should have told me that you were my aunt."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three: On the Issue of Accuracy

Liam was forced to watch the debates and accusations fly about Renee's behavior. Men that he never knew could exist were talking about their relationships with Renee. One even claimed that Renee had conceived an illegitimate child with him and aborted it without his knowledge. Liam did not get to see Ta'lay on her short return. He was too busy talking to publicists, image consultants, and former reporters to try and figure out who could possibly help him clear Renee's name.

He'd had a short conference with several consultants. All of them told him the same thing: wait until elections were over and let it all blow over. Trying to fight back would only make a bad problem worse. It would only give the accusers more fuel to feed the fire. Liam said that he would take their opinions under advisement. Then, he sent the tired campaigning teams home for the day. He walked to the employees lounge, praying that nobody would be there. Unfortunately, a bunch of Espelons were there, including Nu'na. Liam was too tired to try and find another place. He found Tay'jay, who had apparently just stepped in seconds before Liam came, and he plopped himself down on the easy chair next to the coffee table by which Tay'jay was standing.

"This is all a goddamn waste of time!" Liam cried in frustration. "I swear, if I had it my way, I'd have found the bastard that did this already and his head would be on my mantle. All I ever do anymore is attend meeting after meeting hearing the same pretty boy, Ivy League graduates tell me the same damn thing: there's nothing I can do about all this!"

"Wow," Ma'ri said woodenly. "Sucks to be you."

"Liam, would you get over it already?" Tay'jay asked. "You're a leader now. Leaders do boring sha'bra. It's what we do. You think we like it?"

"Why not instead of complaining about it like a bitch get off your ass and actually do something about it?" Nu'na asked harshly.

"Nu'na—"

"No, Tay'jay, if he's so damn convinced that he's humanity's savior and he truly believes there's a reputation of that slut Renee's to be saved, why doesn't he just do it alone?" Nu'na asked. "You know I've had it up to here with his whining and complaining. He's been doing it ever since before we even got involved in this human pissing contest you and Da'an laughingly call a war."

Tay'jay burst out laughing. "Please, Nu'na! Da'an and I hardly call this a war. And I don't think any of us truly convinced ourselves that our mission was to play Risk with a bunch of neophyte soldiers playing patriot against a menace that ninety percent of the world doesn't even consider a menace."

"What are you getting at now?" Liam asked in irritation.

"Face it, Liam, the Human Liberation was never really considered the good guy here," Ma'ri said. "I mean, any idiot from here to San Francisco can tell you're just a bunch of washed up, angry war vets who, in any other country, would be considered terrorists. You guys never even fought in a real war. You just played 'kid with his dad's gun' for a year in the last of a series of problems that were never America's business in the first place."

"You guys think we can find something better to do with our time here?" Link asked, who had just walked in with Street and Renee.

Renee and Street took a seat on the couch across from Liam, but neither Renee nor Liam was looking at each other. Renee was looking at the television while Liam was looking at Tay'jay. Only Street seemed to care about the tension.

"Where's your friend?" Nu'na asked.

"Augur-man? Talking to a friend," Link lied. "Street, Renee, and I are waiting for him to give the okay."

"The okay on what?" Liam asked.

"How can you guys watch this garbage?" Renee snorted, trying also to change the subject.

"Oh, it's real easy to do when you're not the one involved," Nu'na said.

"Don't you have a roach to run with?" Renee asked harshly.

"Don't you have a Paris Hilton look-alike to tramp around with?" Nu'na shot back.

"Nu'na, for the sake of my taste and the rest of the humans in this room, let's leave the Renee Palmer scandal outside," an Indian girl called. She and a group of humans were situated in the bar area in front of the mini-kitchen.

"Whatever," Nu'na said, turning off the TV.

"Now I believe we were on the issue of real war," Tay'jay said. "Link, as a former war vet, what do you believe constitutes a real war?"

"I knew I shouldn't have walked in here," Link muttered to himself. "A real war is not one-sided. The adversaries feed on each other's weaknesses making them both equal in a tactical stance. Nobody has a true home field advantage. A real war never lasts as long as it's predicted to. If it lasted as long as strategists predict, it's not a war. It's just a really long battle or an operation. A real war is never as simple as good versus evil. This is because both sides believe they are the good guys, and they are willing to fight and die on that belief. A real war has lots of casualties, civilian and soldier. Many times, the casualties are the ones closest to you if not you yourself. Finally, a real war is one fought by man himself. If technology is used, it's of his own accord. No computers or special thinking machines can do it for him. If he makes the technology think for him, he hasn't really won the war. His machines have."

"So in your opinion, would the SI War count as a real war?" Tay'jay asked.

"Only to the Chinese and the Indians involved. For everyone else, hell no," Link said.

"What about the Iraq War?" Renee asked. "Do you consider that a real war?"

"Of course I do," Link said. "Just as much as I consider the Civil War, World War I and II, and the Vietnam War real wars. And don't get me started on the ancient wars, and civil wars across the board in third world countries."

"Do you consider the war we're fighting against the Taelons a real war?" Street asked.

"Absolutely not," Link said. "Maybe an information war. That's about as close to war as it's gonna get."

"See? You heard it straight from the horse's mouth," Nu'na said. "All the Resistance is is a bunch of human babies who found their dad's guns and want to play Cowboys and Indians against an adversary that doesn't even give a damn."

"How dare you," Renee said sharply. "If it weren't for people like me and Jonathan Doors, the truth never would have come out about the malicious experiments and other abominations brought on by the Taelons."

Nu'na scoffed. "Rich people with a lot of money and nothing better to do. That's why you make money off of fighting against the Taelons. Oh, you may be 'fighting the Taelons' and 'uncovering the truth,' but you're also taking home a nice like ten-figure check every month with the technology the Taelons willingly gave to you."

"The gift was public," Street noted. "Zo'or had been making money off the profits of the technology they used."

"Oh, I get it," Nu'na said. "You want the Taelons to act more human and less like a bunch of aliens. Well part of being human, especially part of being an American human, is capitalism. So when Zo'or practices capitalistic tactics like you do to fund programs that keep you are your pathetic loved ones living longer and more complacent, he's a monster. But when you do it to fund a terrorist group, you're the female Oscar Shindler."

"You know, I really don't understand you guys," Liam said. "Renee uses her company to fund a resistance group whose only interest is saving lives from a true menace, and she's a terrorist. Tay'jay does the exact same thing with even bigger morally questionable tactics, and he's considered a hero."

"Whoa! Wait a minute!" Tay'jay cried. "First of all, I don't run a terrorist organization hell-bent on stickin' it to the Taelon man even though I've got plenty reason to considering they left me and hundreds of us on some godforsaken planet to die. I run a smuggling group whose sole purpose is to get innocent Espelons to neutral territory and as far away from war as possible. Secondly, I don't steal out of spite. I steal out of necessity. And finally, if I do plan a raid, usually it's not against the Taelons. It's against the Jaridians and their supporters, the key group that has been openly attacking innocent Espelon women and children. Match point!"

"While I can't stand Nu'na for the life of me," Ma'ri admitted, "she's got a point. Renee, your argument is the same argument made by terrorists and anarchists all over the world. You and Jonathan could easily have been Osama Bin Laden in another life. In the eyes of the people you know well, you're a hero. But in the eyes of the rest of the world, you're a rich girl who's got a grudge against society and wants to reformat it for your own intentions by funding a scare tactic group. In the eyes of the rest of the world, we're the terrorists. The Taelons are America right now. We're Al Qeada."

"And that's going to continue until we can provide believable proof that the Taelons are not who they say they are," Renee said.

" 'Believable' being the key word there," Ja'da muttered.

"Plus, like I told your stupid ass boy-toy here," Nu'na said, "you guys had it out for the Taelons before the Taelons even had a chance to do anything wrong. According to senior members, the Resistance was started the day after the Taelon arrival. You guys even call it Black Wednesday. What in the seven spiral galaxies could the Taelons have done in a day to make you hate them so?"

"For one thing, they took it upon themselves to end the SI War by utilizing a weapon that killed hundreds of people," Renee said. "They scared the world into making peace."

"Yeah, but you didn't know about that when you started the Resistance," Ma'ri said. "Plus, if you wanna use that mentality, the Soviet Union had every right to form in response to the Americans dropping two atomic bombs on Japan killing thousands of innocent people as opposed to the hundreds the Taelons allegedly killed. They had every right to develop a nuclear arsenal just as Cuba and every other country that has reserves about the US does. And yet you guys still consider them the enemy."

"But I thought the atom bomb was dropped to save lives," Street said. "Truman dropped the bomb to get the Japanese to surrender so that the war wouldn't drag out for several years killing many more innocent people."

"First of all, there are no innocents in a real war," Link said. "If you don't wanna be involved, run like hell away from the warring country to neutral territory like you're supposed to. Anyone living in the warring factions' territories during war times is fair game whether they have a gun in their hands or not, especially since the antics we saw in the Vietnam War. Secondly, who's to say the Taelons' objective wasn't the same thing as Truman's? You wanna know how this world would've been if the Taelons had come offering the technology they did during wartime? _That_ would be total anarchy. Instead of working with the Taelons to improve the quality of life of man, weapons manufacturers that generate the most profit during wartimes—and for such reason would've been granted first access to the Taelon tech by their governments—would have used it to develop even more powerful and efficient weapons that could kill even more people."

"Which defeats the purpose of the Taelons coming to Earth in the first place," Tay'jay said. "As Foucault put it, a dead body generates no profit. The Taelons can't gear an already warring planet to fight against the Jaridians for them. They'd never have enough troops."

"So we're just back to square one then," Street said. "The Taelons kill a bunch of people to ensure the survival of more people just so they can engineer them to fight against the Jaridians. Ergo, a human resistance is formed that's considered a bunch of anarchists just because they can't find proof to back their claims against the Taelons. If we think of it as the vicious cycle that we're talking about, then nobody's really good or evil."

Tay'jay made a sound like a bell as if Street had just won the jackpot.

"And that's exactly why most modern philosophers and scholars consider all war and violence useless," Link said.

"So then the question we're really asking here is what is the true face of American patriotism," Street said. "Is it corporate capitalism, which generates the profit needed to make America the rich and prosperous world power it is, but which also leaves hundreds of innocent lives ruined one way or another? Or is it the rag-tag freedom-fighting scenario, which, as noble as its intentions are, can, if unchecked, evolve into a terrorist group with anarchist ideals?"

The group stopped when it realized that everyone else in the lounge had their eyes and ears focused solely on them. The group of humans at the bar and in the kitchen was completely silent, awaiting the humans that represented them to come up with a response. A group of Espelons and Taelons that had been reading in the small, café-style area on the other side of the television viewing area had put down their books and computers to watch the debate as well.

"Well, hell, maybe we should get other people involved in this as well," Tay'jay said.

"Yeah, feel free to join in and help us out," Liam called to the humans in the kitchen.

The others seemed hesitant about joining in. But the Indian girl stood up to join in.

"I will tell you how the rest of the world perceives American patriotism speaking as somebody born in India," she said.

The woman's name was Abhaya Bharghava. She had become a volunteer so that she could practice medicine, but when the Taelons suspected her during the State of Emergency and she was detained, she joined the Resistance out of disillusionment.

"The perception of most of the world concerning American patriotism is capitalism. Making as much money as you can and stepping on as many toes as you can to get it. This especially became the image after the war in Iraq, which many people today are still convinced was started only to get the oil reserves there and put money in the oil companies' pockets. Opportunity is getting your hands on as many electronic devices as you can. Freedom is the right to complain about the latest celebrity scandal and to choose between as many channels as you can. It is about living in excess. So while a lot of people did not condone the actions of Al Qaeda and terrorist organizations like them, we definitely understood their reasoning."

"That's true," Tay'jay said. "I mean Taelons aren't the only people who've hurt innocents just to further their goals. Governments make budget cuts just to generate a bigger profit that end up killing people in the end. You ever try to get a malicious government employee fired in this country? It's impossible. All they do is transfer the guy so that he can stick it to us somewhere else."

"Not to mention the fact that corrupt leaders can put anyone they want in positions of power," Abhaya added. "That was how the devastation in New Orleans after Katrina became a disaster. Never mind the amount of money people get screwed out of because of social security and Medicare costs."

"And then, that kind of behavior isn't just limited to the public sector," Ma'ri said. "Private companies are guilty of it all the time. I'm sure there's plenty Doors International is guilty of that we don't know about. There are issues all across the board: the Texas City plant explosion, PG&E and Erin Brockovich, the fall of Enron, the blood diamond companies in Africa, and every firearm, drug, tobacco, alcohol and explosives manufacturer in America."

"Oh, don't get me started on gun control in this nation," Abhaya said.

"Hey! Do not discriminate against the guns," Link said. "Guns are not the problem with this nation. If anything, they should be distributing more guns. The problem with the gun control system is the fact that it's not regulated nationally and any idiot with two forms of ID can get a license to carry one."

"That's right!" a white man by the name of Tucker Jenison agreed. "If they got rid of guns in this nation, many of us Resistance members wouldn't have them right now, and then we'd be in a world of hurt against the Taelons."

"But you'd have to agree that certain kinds of guns should not be allowed to be distributed publicly," Ma'ri said. "Do we really want children buying automatic rifles?"

"Just set the license age to 21, and then don't distribute automatic rifles," Link said. "Then, tell these stupid-ass companies to stop distributing parts that can convert a manual into a semi."

"But what about kids with parents who have guns?" Liam asked. "And then there's always the black market."

"There's always going to be the black market," Link said. "It's a problem not just for weapons dealers, but every company in the nation. I always say that if someone really wants to do something illegal, he's gonna find a way to do it. However, there is no reason that the government should make it easy on 'em, and there's definitely no reason why we shouldn't be allowed to defend ourselves against those people on equal footing."

"Couldn't have said it better, my friend!" Tucker yelled.

"All right everybody! We're arguing about patriotism, not gun control here!" Tay'jay cried. "Stick to the subject at hand!"

"Look, I'm the first to admit that America has its problems," Renee said, "but nations all over have problems as well. There are examples of corrupt leaders getting voted into office all the time in elections that America had nothing to do with. Corporate America is not patriotic America. It's the dark side of giving the majority of America the peace and prosperity our forefathers fought to earn. People like Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, and George Washington."

"Thomas Jefferson wrote a document whose primary purpose was that of a propaganda tool, and it sure as hell isn't a legally binding document," Tay'jay said. "Benjamin Franklin never even fought in the American Revolutionary War. He just bummed around France. And George Washington was the man who argued _against_ the kind of America that exists today. The man repeatedly and explicitly advised against creating a politically factioned nation, and look what we have."

"In present-day America's defense, Washington never knew that it would take a political parties to execute a system as complex and as confusing as the government created by the Constitution," Link said.

"A Constitution that was formed by a group of people that didn't even fight in the Revolutionary War," Ma'ri said. "In fact, there's evidence to suggest that many of the original patriots in the Revolutionary War were just invited to the Constitutional Convention for show and never actually contributed anything."

"That's a load of crap!" Tucker cried out. "Every one of our founding fathers contributed to that Constitution!"

"Everyone except Patrick Henry and Thomas Jefferson," Tay'jay said. "And the only reason the Constitution was created was because the original government set by the real ones who had fought for your independence backfired."

"It has always amazed me how little Americans know about their actual history. They call themselves patriots but most of them don't even know when their own country won its independence," Abhaya said.

"That's crap," Renee said. "Every American knows when we won independence. It was in 1776. We have a national holiday for it."

The mouths of many of the humans and all the aliens in the room dropped open.

A Hispanic woman from behind the bar had been distributing drinks to her friends in the room. When she heard what Renee said, she dropped the glass full of liquor that was in her hand. As soon as it shattered, the entire room erupted in laughter. Even Street and Link had to laugh. Tay'jay was laughing so hard that his whole body was blushing. Ma'ri had hold on to the arm of her chair to keep from falling over on herself.

"You see? It always amazes me!" Abhaya cried, who was laughing so hard that tears were coming down her eyes.

Liam shook his head. "Renee, Americans won their independence on September 3, 1783 when the Treaty of Paris was signed. We declared our independence and ourselves as a nation separate from Britain on July 4, 1776, and that's why we have our national holiday on July 4."

"For a moment I thought we were livin' in Canada," Link said, " 'cause I don't remember Britain handing our nation to us on a silver platter."

"Ma'am, if we'd won independence in 1776, Washington never would've had to cross the Delaware," Tucker cried. "Hell, even _I_ knew that!"

"I got one word for you, Renee," Nu'na said as the laughter died down. "Wikipedia."

Nu'na's words only started up the laughter again.

"This is one of our leaders of the Resistance," Abhaya cried. "A woman who doesn't even know when Americans won their independence! And we truly call ourselves patriots. Like I said, it never ceases to amaze me!"

Renee scoffed and stormed out of the room.

"Well, now that that point's been proven," Darius said, who had been growing especially tired of the laughingstock this debate had become, "I got a point of my own to add. Consider the fact that America is not a nation of one people but many. The faults that we all point out right now don't just stem from one culture. I mean take a look at all of us. I come from a culture where status and wealth are defined by how much bling-bling we got and how many people believe we got shot on the streets. Abhaya's from a culture that feels both alienated and arrogant at the same time—alienated because they're the most recent to experience discrimination and arrogant because they know that at the end of the day, they're the ones that wind up with the jobs of the ones who discriminate against them. Liam comes from a culture of drunks and brawlers, which took aggressive Taelon intervention just to become one whole nation. Renee comes from a culture of arrogant tea-drinkers who are primarily responsible for the oppression we all felt and still feel today. And the Espelons and Taelons—well, who knows what they've done without our knowledge. That's what we're still trying to find out."

The room grew quiet, and all eyes focused on the black man sitting at the bar with his drink.

"I know that there are a lot of people out there that consider themselves patriots who ain't really patriots," Darius continued. "They the type of people who slap a picture of George Washington on their products and hawk 'em. They the type that wave a flag just to send us all to some godforsaken country to die. They the type that forced my ancestors through nearly 400 years of oppression and would still force that upon any and every race they deem unfit. I call a true American patriot someone who loves this land, for all its goods and all its faults. There may be plenty of Resistance members who are here just because they carry a grudge against the Taelons. There may be plenty who are here just because they feel washed up and inadequate because they had to fight in a pointless war like the SI only to come back to a nation that's turned its back on them. But I know that I'm here because I love this land, and no corrupted government, be it our own or one from beyond the Moon, is gonna ruin it for the rest of us."

The room grew quiet again to ponder Darius's speech.

"Well said!" Link yelled breaking the silence.

"Hear, hear!" Liam agreed.

"I've heard better excuses to drink," a Hispanic woman who had been distributing drinks to the group the whole time said.

"Hey, everyone," Ma'ri said, holding up her own glass. "A toast. To the humans, the Taelons, and the Espelons, who may be stuck in nation with a hell of a lot of problems and in a war with a hell of a lot more, but who are stuck in it together."

There were shouts of agreement and the sounds of glasses clicking across the room. Nu'na and her friends, however, had become distracted when Ja'da entered the room and signaled for Nu'na to follow him. They dashed outside, snickering and whispering.

When the toast was done, Liam left the room too with Tay'jay not far behind.

"Hey, cowboy," Tay'jay called.

Liam turned.

"Don't let Nu'na and her cronies get to you," he advised. "She's an insecure girl with a whole lotta problems. But she's fiercely loyal to me and Da'an, and that's why I keep her."

"I'll keep that in mind," Liam said, and he continued his path out of the lounge and back into the storm that was the Congressional elections.

Tay'jay shook his head and went back into the lounge.

* * *

After he received a call on his global, Link left the lounge to meet Augur back at the lair. He had asked Street if she wanted to come with him, but she was too tied up in yet another conversation the Espelons had started.

"So how's the weather out there?" Augur asked Link as he stepped off the elevator.

"I've seen better days," Link said. "So I take it you're in?"

"You were expecting anything less?" Augur said clapping his hands once. "It's times like this I'm glad we live in a digital world."

"You know I saw on National Geographic a couple of weeks ago that eventually all of the communications systems on Earth will be entirely digital, which will wipe our intergalactic signature off the universal map," Link said. "After that, we'll be next to impossible for other intelligent life forms to detect."

"Yeah, digital information isn't passed through any kind of light waves, so it's undetectable by communication satellites," Augur said. "It's the basis I used for the communications system Da'an asked me to build."

"I wonder if that's why it was so hard for us to detect intelligent life," Link said.

"Eh, anyways, it sounds good to me," Augur said. "We got enough aliens interested in our affairs now as it is. Oh, and I took the liberty of brewing you some tea, herbal-man. It's by the computer."

Link picked up the black mug and sipped. "Earl Grey. Classic. Are you sure it's a good idea to be settin' your drinks so close to the console? I mean I've seen 'Final Destination' movies that started like that."

"Please," Augur said. "The way I've refined these babies, you could take a sledgehammer to them and they'd still work. I had to after my bouts with two consecutive Atavus, one, might I add, being your girlfriend."

"Oh really? 'Cause the way she tells it, _you_ cut _her_ off," Link reminded.

"You win this round, Mr. Bond," Augur said, pretending to sound menacing.

"So what am I looking at here?" Link said, staring at the computer screen.

"The security camera footage from the hotel Renee was in on that questionable night," Augur said. "Take a look."

The footage was amazingly clear considering how dimly lit the lobby was. Most of the interior was marble colored. The lobby had the setting of a large living room with the exception of the check-in counter from where the camera was pointing. The gold-plated elevator doors were across from a huge den with a gigantic fireplace and new white velvet carpeting. Hubble and his colleagues were standing in the den area socializing. Link had to laugh at the outrageously southern-style costumes they were wearing.

"Renee should use that as her defense," Link said. " 'The girdle I was wearing under that outrageously tacky southern belle costume literally cut off much-needed oxygen flow to my brain, so I couldn't think straight.' "

Augur snickered. "I'd buy it."

"I don't see anyone out of the ordinary here," Link said. "Well, as ordinary as it got on a night like that."

"There's Renee coming in now," Augur said, watching Renee walk towards the hotel with a white man with blond hair.

"Hey, does that guy look familiar?" Link asked.

"Yeah," Augur said. He paused the picture and zoomed into the male's face. "Holy crap. It's what's his name. That guy with Renee's job."

"Frit. So that's why she was acting like Clara Harris," Link said.

"I can't believe nobody's released his name," Augur said. "What the hell are they waiting for?"

"In the footage that was released, his face is blacked out," Link said, "but I'm sure plenty of people are looking for him right now."

"Well, I'm no conspiracy theorist, but maybe he's got something to do with this too," Augur said.

"Yeah, maybe," Link agreed. "Keep looking."

They watched as Renee moved closer to Frit.

"Wait a second," Link noted. "She's not kissin' him."

"What?" Augur asked. He zoomed in again and re-played the footage. "Yeah! She's _not_ kissing him! Renee was telling the truth."

"But why would she do something so stupid like pretending to kiss a guy she's never met before?" Link asked.

"Hey," Augur said in an excited tone. He zoomed out and replayed the footage one more time. "Take a look at our friend mud-butt here."

Augur zoomed in one more time and paused this time on the angry look on Hubble's face as he watched Renee and Frit.

"It was a prank!" Link said in awe. "She was playin' his jealousies like a Sting record."

"So she was doin' it to piss him off," Augur said. "Can't say I'd blame her."

Link and Augur snickered at the entire ordeal.

"Hell, now I'd wish I'd been there," Augur said, continuing to snicker. He resumed playing the camera footage. They watched as Renee and Frit boarded the elevator, continuing the charade for Hubble's displeasure. A few minutes later Hubble stormed off. That was when a small man in a driver's hat, a suit and tie and penny loafers pressed the button for another elevator. "Hello, what have we here?"

"Looks like a limo driver," Link said.

"A scrawny limo driver with glasses and wearing brown penny loafers?" Augur asked. "He's a paparazzo in disguise if I ever saw one. But we can't be sure until we see his camera."

"He's probably stashed it under his suit," Link said. "There's no way we'll see it."

"Hmm," Augur pondered. "What time did he walk in the elevator?"

"According to this camera, one thirty-five a.m. Why?" Link asked.

"I've got an idea," Augur said. He cancelled the footage and pulled up what looked to Link like a whole menu of security camera screens from places all over the hotel. Augur selected two windows in the middle that had pictures of both elevators' interiors. He asked the computer to pull up footage from the time Link stated. A few minutes later, the man boarded one of the elevators, and pulled out a digital recorder just as Augur has predicted.

"Bet he never figured they'd put security cameras in the elevator," Augur sniggered. He zoomed to get a solid image of the man's face. He was a gamy and bald white man with black glasses and an unusually long nose. "All right. Paparazzi have a talent for getting arrested. Let's see if our mystery man here's got a police record."

Augur ordered the computer to run the man's image through a nation-wide criminal database. Again, as Augur had predicted, they found a match.

"Bingo!" Augur yelled. "We have our man. Linus Snelling. Arrested for six counts of trespassing in four different states. Last known residence: Los Angeles, California."

"He's probably not livin' there now," Link said. "Even if he was, we go over there and start askin' him for information, he'll have _us_ arrested for trespassing."

"So what'll we do?" Augur asked.

"Upload a copy of his face and record to my global," Link said. "I'll take it from here."

"Your wish is my command, sahib," Augur said.

* * *

Da'an had not slumbered for the entire night. So when Ariel squirmed under Da'an's arms to let Da'an know she was awake, Da'an immediately released her.

"Did you go to sleep last night, mommy?" Ariel asked, rubbing the sleepiness out of her eyes.

"Don't worry about me," Da'an said, smoothing out Ariel's hair by running her fingers through it and using her telekinesis to undo the tangles. "So, what would you like to do today?"

"I don't know," Ariel giggled.

"You don't know?" Da'an teased.

"No. What can we do?"

"We can do anything you want, Ariel."

Ariel pondered as Da'an finished the job she had started by replacing her hands with a brush. "Well…" she began shyly.

"What is it?" Da'an asked.

"Um…well…I kinda…wanna go swimming," Ariel said nervously. "Daddy promised me we'd go, but he never took me. Can we swim here?"

Now it was Da'an's turn to think for a moment. "Hmm. I think we can arrange that."

"Yay!" Ariel cried joyfully. "Can we eat something first though? I'm hungry."

"Of course we can, but you know you're not supposed to swim right after eating. You get cramps."

"That's only if you're human, silly," Ariel giggled. "I'm not a human."

Da'an turned her head away and blushed. "Yes…I keep forgetting that," she said so silently that Ariel didn't hear her. "Get up and get dressed."

Ariel raced out of the bed and into the changing room.

When Nye inquired where Da'an and Ariel had gone, it was Alo'in who told her that they had gone to the stream near the temple with Mem'na to swim. Nye found the three exactly where Alo'in had described. Ariel was splashing around joyfully in a blue swimming suit and a white swim cap in the water. Da'an was perched on a familiar rock in a white sleeveless sundress and a thin blue satin robe over it. She appeared to be speaking with Mem'na in a Taelon dialect while watching the child play.

Nye gripped the two crystal figurines in her hands and walked toward them.

She stopped when she heard Da'an scream.

"Ariel! What have I told you about splashing me and Mem'na!" Da'an yelled in a more so bothered tone than angry.

"Come in with me, Mommy," Ariel shouted back, "and I won't splash you anymore!"

"Ugh," Da'an groaned. "Barely a year old and she's already extorting me."

"That sounded more like a threat to me," Mem'na said slyly.

Da'an sighed. "This dress had better be waterproof."

Ariel squealed with delight when Da'an jumped in with her.

"What is that phrase you taught me?" Mem'na said to herself. "Oh yes. I see London. I see France—"

"Oh, shut up Mem'na," Da'an snapped before Mem'na could finish. She turned to Ariel. "And as for you…"

Da'an grabbed Ariel and started tickling her. Ariel was laughing and squealing so hard that tears were coming down her eyes.

"Mem'na," Nye called in the middle of the commotion. "Take a break now."

"But I am fine here, Priestess—"

"Do as I say," Nye said with a subtle firmness.

Mem'na nodded to her and left.

Somewhere in between Nye's arrival and Mem'na's departure, Da'an and Ariel's tickling match had become a splashing match. In the midst of the water fight, Da'an jerked to a stop at the new presence. When she stopped, Ariel stopped as well.

"Why are you here, Nye?" Da'an asked refusing to acknowledge her presence by looking at her.

"I take it from your tone that you are still…disconcerted with me."

"That is putting it mildly," Da'an said, climbing out of the stream.

"Wait, Mommy! Don't go yet," Ariel pleaded.

"You keep having fun, Ariel," Nye said, pulling out another piece of the candy she had given Ariel. "I will only be a few minutes with your mother."

"And stay close to the shallow ends," Da'an told her.

Ariel grabbed the candy from her as a peace offering and gobbled it down. Then she began playing by herself again.

Da'an dried herself with the towel as Ariel began doing hand underwater handstands in the shallower side of the stream. She and Nye sat next to each other on the rock and watched for several minutes, saying nothing to one another.

"Why did you never tell us?" Da'an asked, breaking the silence.

"I wanted to," Nye said. "So many times, we both wanted to tell you and Ma'el. And young Tay'jay…it was cruel of us. I know it. However, every priest makes a vow of separation from his relatives. You know this."

"And after you left? Why not tell us then?"

"Because I could not risk you or Ma'el learning about Ka'fil. If you knew about me, eventually you would trace the information to Ka'fil. Looking back on it now, I suspect Ma'el had some idea. But I wanted it to be Ka'fil's choice to tell you…when he was ready. Besides, if you had found out earlier that I was your aunt, you would have sought me out. It was not yet time for us to meet."

"I suppose I should have expected this from you," Da'an said. "You have never told anyone the straight truth in your life. Why should I be the first?"

"Can you ever forgive me?"

Da'an smirked. "We _Amo'qui_ are few and far between. I doubt it would do me any good to turn even one away. I forgive you."

Nye chuckled. "I agree with you. You should have expected nothing less from an _Amo'qui_."

"Don't make fun of me, Nye," Da'an said.

"I am merely suggesting that twisting the truth with words is not a talent in our family so much as it is an inheritance."

Da'an then thought about the humans she had manipulated to suit her species' interests, humans like William Boone and Liam Kincaid. Before now, she had been ashamed of her actions, but now she recognized them for their original intent: a necessary measure to protect both them and herself. How could Da'an not forgive Nye? She was absolutely correct. Manipulation was a leader's most powerful weapon, and her family had mastered it.

"Ma'el did not know," Da'an said. "Had he, I would have known, and I would not have had to share with you. It is so strange that Taelons know exactly who their parents are when they are born, but nothing further from that."

"Because of our awakened consciousness, we are much more connected to our parents than we are with anyone else in the womb," Nye explained. "And the Commonality refrains itself from us as children in order to keep our awakened consciousness from driving us mad."

"That old proverb…" Da'an recited it in Eunoia. The phrase she was reciting was, "Children belong more to the Commonality than they do to us."

"I know it," Nye replied.

"Where did it come from? It seems completely contradictory."

"That is not true," Nye said. "The common belief that children are not as connected to the Commonality as their parents initially—that is what is contradictory. All children are just as connected to the Commonality at conception as their parents. In fact for a Taelon, during his time within the womb, the link to the Commonality is never stronger. The proverb comes from a book of maternal prayers from long ago. It was used to reconcile parents who had lost their children at birth. However, the common consciousness of such an enormously powerful entity as the Commonality can often come into fierce combat with the developing consciousness of a child. Therefore, the Commonality learned to distance itself from children after they are born in order to give them time to develop their own personality. It is an adaptation tactic that evolved naturally and is a testament to the greater good."

"By allowing a child's consciousness to mature on its own, the child will become mentally healthy enough to contribute to the Commonality in the future. I see."

"Do you understand?"

Da'an pondered. "I…think so."

"Good," Nye said, revealing the two crystal figures in her hand. She had tied them to a string and turned them into necklaces. She put them both around Da'an's neck. "These figures belonged to Ka'fil and his mate. My secondary parent. My mother. They were meant to be an heirloom. He was supposed to pass them on to his child so that he may give one to his mate. However, Ka'fil has lived in mourning for a long time. Ever since Mother died birthing Ka'li."

"Ka'fil…blamed himself for her death?" Da'an asked.

"He blamed himself for not saving her," Nye said. "That he has passed these on to you…perhaps he is finally ready to let go."

"That does not sound like something a Taelon would do," Da'an said. "Mourn someone for thousands of years."

"As you are probably well aware now, the _Amo'qui_ have a history of behaving in a rather un-Taelonly fashion."

Da'an nodded and stared at the two relics. "I know how he feels."

"Ja'lan's death was not your fault, Da'an," Nye said. "There are certain Taelons that are more susceptible to the risks of child-bearing. Ja'lan was one of them. When that risk doubled after she found out she was birthing twins, she decided to continue with the pregnancy, despite all warnings."

"She could have killed one of us. Bel'lie probably would have forced her to kill me."

"It is good that she did not. Ja'lan was a strong Taelon, and despite the prejudices of her sociopathic mate, her choices were her own. It is she who named you, and it is she who made sure that Tam'bi and Tay'jay would remain a close part of your family. Never let anyone tell you any different."

"Mommy! Watch what I can do!" Ariel cried.

Da'an and Nye watched Ariel do a front flip and then a black flip in the water.

Da'an had force her mouth closed with her hand to keep from laughing and embarrassing Ariel. "That is my daughter for you."

"I think she is precious," Nye said. "Do it again, _su'ki_!"

Ariel performed the stunt three more times. Da'an and Nye applauded Ariel's efforts and then let her continue to play.

"Ready to go in with her?" Da'an asked Nye.

"I am not dressed to do that, Da'an," Nye said, looking down at her silky blue dress.

"You are a being made of energy," Da'an said. "I think you will learn to recover."

Da'an pushed Nye into the water with her telekinesis. When Nye surfaced, she returned the gesture by dragging Da'an in by her arms. Da'an immediately started playing with Ariel once more, using her telekinetic abilities to help Ariel do all sorts of tricks in the water. Nye simply lay her head back and let her strands soak up the pure, cool spring water.

* * *

Even though the debate was over, the conversations in the ANA lounge room continued well into the afternoon. Near the end, only Tay'jay, Ma'ri, Abhaya, Street, Mi'lu, Darius and three Taelons were left. By now, they were watching the press interviewing several men who had confessed to being Renee's old boyfriends.

Augur returned to the ANA building to check up on Street. She seemed to be enjoying herself.

"How's it goin', kid?" Augur asked her, sitting next to her on the couch.

"Oh, pretty good," Street said. "Where are you and Link?"

"Link's taking care of it. He said he'd contact us when he found the guy. When he finds him, we can start following the money trail," Augur informed her.

"I'll be ready," Street assured him.

"Man, some of these guys are full of such sha'bra that you almost feel sorry for Renee," Ma'ri said, watching the coverage. Right now, an older gentleman had confessed that Renee had left him with an illegitimate child and was now demanding child support. He was going into a frenzy talking about the double standard America had on which parent was culpable for child-support payments after divorce.

"Okay, this is the third guy who has come out saying that Renee had their love child or aborted their love child. They are really pushing that vortex public figure rule," Abhaya said.

"Vortex public figure rule?" Street asked.

"It has to do with libel law," Tay'jay said, "or, in this case slander. Public figures aren't given much liability when it comes to proving slander on the press's part. A vortex public figure is when an otherwise normal guy is thrust into the spotlight due to some sensational circumstances, like in Renee's case, a scandal. If she were to sue press associations for libel and slander right now, she'd have a very difficult case."

"Although with this, I'm pretty sure the judge would be willing to make an exception," Mi'lu said. "This guy is taking this way too far. I doubt he's been in the same room with Renee."

"Anything to get your five minutes of fame these days," Abhaya said.

"But some people come up with the most insipid stories," a Taelon said.

"Well, what do you expect?" Augur asked. "It's sweeps month."

"I bet Taelons when they first came to Earth had a field day watching the television and all the terrible stories that unfold during sweeps months," Abhaya said. "I always said that even though I do not agree with many of the Taelons' methods, there are some benefits to being a purely intellectual society. At least they never waste their time with stories as dumb as this."

"Oh, I beg to differ," the same Taelons snickered. "Remember that old urban legend that went around after that ship full of scientists disappeared?"

There was a chorus of disgusted groans from the Taelons and Espelons.

"Oh…no!" Ma'ri cried.

"You had to mention that, Du'ma!" another Taelon cried, hitting the Taelon that had mentioned the story. "That was a _horrible_ story!"

"Let's not go there, shall we?" Tay'jay moaned.

"I still can't believe some people actually believed that piece of crap," Mi'lu said. "That's what's so horrible about it."

"Wait. How did you and Ma'ri hear about it?" Tay'jay cried. "Sha'bra, your grandmother's grandmothers weren't even alive then!"

"Don't exaggerate," Mi'lu scolded. "Besides, we don't need to have been alive then to know that horrible story."

"The utter absurdity of it spans millennia," Ma'ri said.

"It _is_ a pretty bad story," one of the Taelons snickered.

Ma'ri whispered to J. Street, "Ar'ron told us, but don't tell Tay'jay that. It hurts his feelings when we talk about Ar'ron."

"What the hell are y'all talkin' about?" Darius asked.

"No! You do not need to hear that story!" Tay'jay cried. "It's awful."

"No, you've built it up, TJ," Augur said. "You have to tell it now."

"You've ensnared us," Street agreed. "It has to be told."

"Oh my gosh," Mi'lu giggled. "Okay, who wants to tell it?"

"I ain't sayin' nothing," Ma'ri said.

"One of you is going to tell us this story," Abhaya demanded.

"Okay, okay! I'll tell it," Tay'jay said.

The Espelons and Taelons enthusiastically agreed, with Tay'jay demanding quiet in the room. When the chatter subsided, Tay'jay pulled the coffee table aside and sat in the middle. Everyone gathered around him in a crude circle as if they were at a powwow. Augur turned off the television.

"Okay, here's some background you should know about the story," Tay'jay said. "I had to be about twelve when this story started going around, but the actual incident happened a while before I was born."

"Oh, so Da'an knows about this story too?" Street asked.

"Oh yeah, and she should be the one tellin' it because she's damn good at it," Tay'jay laughed.

The Espelons and Taelons all sniggered.

"But anyway," Tay'jay continued, "before I was born, there was allegedly some kind of a—what was it—a famine? Was that it?"

"It had to do with core energy or something," Ma'ri said. "Come on. You guys are Taelons. Help us out."

"It definitely wasn't core energy," one of the Taelons said. "Taelons don't lose core energy. We get old, our core gets weaker and we fade away."

"But they were trying to find a way to help Taelons live longer, right?" Ma'ri asked.

"Wasn't it some kind of deficiency?" one of the Taelons asked.

"I remember it had to do with core energy," Ma'ri said. "At least that's the version I was told about."

"Whoa, slow down," Augur said. "What's this core energy stuff?"

"Okay, this is probably not the best comparison," Du'ma explained, "but you know how stars have a fusion core made primarily of hydrogen?"

"Yeah," Augur said.

"Well, when the fusion process finishes, and the core is entirely converted into helium, the star begins to die, right?" Du'ma continued.

"Yeah, eventually it collapses on its own gravity because the core is too heavy," Augur said.

"Well, the same thing applies for Taelons…sort of," Du'ma said. "Taelons have a finite amount of core energy which is our life force. We have energy showers and other forms of nourishment that keeps the exterior of our bodies healthy, but our basis is the core. When the core shuts down, our bodies begin to fade. Now, the basis for the urban legend—at least the way I've heard it!—is that there was some kind of mutagen or deficiency or…something and Taelons were dying earlier. They were rationing core energy…something like that. The point is that it was later discovered that the alleged reason the Taelon scientists left was total sha'bra. It had no basis in fact. They were just explorers, right?"

"Yeah. In the legend these scientists set out to find out the secret to core energy," Tay'jay said. "I guess it was kind of a semi-fountain-of-youth-for-the-good-of-Taelon-kind sort of thing. Man, I wish Da'an were here. She could tell you exactly what was going on. We'll tell you the facts after you've heard the story, but the alleged reason was about core energy. But yeah, five or six Taelon scientists—depending on who tells it—set out to save our species from some kind of core energy crisis. Now, all the time they're traveling, they're being hunted by Jaridians who allegedly suffer from the same problem, but for different reasons. I'm not even gonna go into what the Jaridians were doing there. Something about a metabolic disorder."

"The way I heard it, they found out what the scientists were doing, and they wanted a piece of the pie. They thought the Taelons were on some sort of immortality quest and they wanted to steal the secret," Mi'lu said.

"That's a lot better explanation than the version I heard," Tay'jay snickered. "The point is they all end up on some mysterious uncharted planet full of some kind of primitive species. In fact, they were described to be a lot like humans, when I think about it."

"Like us?" Darius asked.

"Only technologically," Ma'ri clarified. "Only technologically."

"Oh, okay," Darius said. "I was gettin' scared there."

There was a brief interlude of laughter.

"But the Taelons make friends with these primitive creatures, who tell the Taelons about some kind of chamber. And the reason they lead the Taelons there is because one of the Taelons looks eerily similar to some kind of god or ancient being that was there long before the Taelons arrived," Tay'jay continued. "Allegedly, the being left a key for them to open this thing. They need one of the natives and one of these saviors from another world that was prophesized to arrive to use the key and open the door. Ergo, they ask the Taelon that looks eerily similar to their ancient visitor to help them open it."

"This legend already sounds stupid," Abhaya said. "How did the Taelons even find out about this planet in the first place?"

"They heard stories about it during their travels," Mi'lu said, "and then one of them came across an old map. That's what I heard."

The humans all looked Mi'lu like they had heard the testimony of a madman.

"It sounds a whacked-out episode of Indiana Jones, but it's true," Mi'lu said innocently.

"Can I continue?" Tay'jay asked in an annoyed tone.

"We're sorry. Go on, dear," Ma'ri said.

"Okay," Tay'jay said. "Anyway, the Taelon and a native use the key, and poof! The door opens. They come across these giant pods, and in the middle of the pods is a pool of energy. Well, one of the Taelons gets curious, dips his hand in the pool and disintegrates. Obviously, the Taelons are freakin' out. That's when the Jaridians come in. They've got guns and they demand the secret. Well, one of the Jaridians puts his hands in the pool and the same damn sha'bra happens to him. Now everyone's freakin' out. That's when the scientists figure out that the only way to get the secret is for the Jaridians and the Taelons to work together to get the energy they need. Then, the natives tell them the only way for the Taelons and Jaridians to get it is if they merge."

"What? Like a joining?" Augur asked.

"Remember how I told you that the Taelons and Jaridians are descended from the same species?" Tay'jay asked.

"Yeah," Augur confirmed.

"Like that," Tay'jay said.

"They had to recombine themselves just to get this energy?" Street asked in a skeptical tone. "Why would they do something as stupid as that?"

"I don't know!" Tay'jay cried. "That's just how the story goes. So one Jaridian and one Taelon each take a pod. There's a huge surge of energy and everything seems to be going well until…holy sha'bra, the whole chamber explodes! It turns out the chamber was a trap to lure in unsuspecting creatures to use the pods. I guess the natives had something against the Taelons or they worshipped the consciousnesses of the creatures like gods. I don't remember what the hell was going on. Da'an could tell you all about this if she were here."

"Well, she's _not_ here!" one of the Taelons yelled. "Get on with it!"

Tay'jay streaked his fingers across the palm of his left hand and continued. "The consciousnesses of these weirdo alien creatures take over the bodies of the recombined Taelons and Jaridians, and the struggle results in an explosion that kills all the natives that participated. That wasn't a very good place to be! When the smoke finally clears and the pods open…well, let's just say this is where the legend takes a very ugly turn."

The Espelons and the Taelons burst out laughing.

"Oh my gosh! It's so stupid!" Tay'jay cried in between laughs.

"It's like this really bad episode of 'Buffy: The Vampire Slayer,' " Mi'lu snickered.

By now even the humans were laughing at this absurd fairy tale.

"Okay, okay," Tay'jay said, who was blushing from the anticipation of the upcoming portion. "These creatures are like these sex-crazed…vampiric…lusty…whores and pimps…or some kind of sha'bra!"

The whole group burst out laughing.

"They're what!" Street cried, with real tears coming down her cheeks from laughing so hard.

"They're these things with energy claws in tight leather suits," Mi'lu squeals.

"Okay, y'all are right," Darius said, laughing so hard he could barely get the words out. "That _did_ take an ugly turn."

"A very sadomasochistic turn!" Augur exclaimed. "What is this? Hellraiser?"

Tay'jay had to stop because he was laughing so hard that his façade was fading. When he finally regained his composure, he continued. "So…somehow, these sex-crazed creatures find their way to our home world."

"What the hell?" Abhaya yelled.

"I don't know! That's the way the story goes," Tay'jay repeated, going into another laughing spasm with the rest of the group. "So all these Taelons were tellin' this story and warning people about going out late at night. Because the thing was these things only came out at night, and they liked to seduce unsuspecting Taelons. They'd like…climb on top of you…have sex with you…"

"Oh my God!" Street cried.

"If we're lyin', we're dyin'," Ma'ri said.

"And then when they were done havin' sex with you…" Tay'jay said, but he had to stop again because he had gone into another laughing spasm. "…they'd reveal these big ass energy claws, _jam_ them in your chest," he said, simulating the experience by jamming his own fingers into his chest, "and then they'd _suck_ the energy right out of you! Like that!" He writhed his fingers from his chest.

Street was laughing so hard by now that it sounded to Augur like she was screaming. Everyone else was laughing just as hard as she, and they had their own methods of showing it.

"There were even rumors that they brought the pods with them," Du'ma added, "and they would seduce you and lure you into the pods. Then they'd like bond with you or join with you, and you became some kind of hybrid…sex slave…evil…person-creature!"

By now the humans were laughing so hard that most of them couldn't breathe. Street's skin was bright red now. The Espelons and Taelons' facades had disappeared completely.

"Who the fuck came up with that stupid-ass legend?" Darius cried when he finally regained his breath.

"I think my roommate in college came up with a similar story when he was high on PCP," Abhaya giggled.

"That _was_ a stupid legend!" Augur said.

"Okay, here's what really happened," Tay'jay said. "Da'an had made some friends in the Synod because she spent so much time with Ka'li, and she told me what really happened just before I turned sixteen. Here are the facts that brought about one of the wildest Taelon stories I've ever heard before in my life: Twelve Taelon scientists were sent to explore this uncharted region of the Maru'vha Galaxy. Apparently the Synod sent them because they thought there might be some good territory there to expand the Taelon Empire. Just before the Taelons disappeared, one of them sent a distress signal, but the transmission was so garbled that nobody could make out what he was saying. _However_, they uncovered some distorted images of these weird-looking humanoid creatures with huge claws. After that, the group was never heard from again."

"Lucky bastard. It took me years to hear about what really happened," Du'ma said. "I was told that they sent some kind of a probe to find them, but that got destroyed too. They figured that the natives of that planet were not ready to encounter alien species and must have attacked the Taelon scientists shortly after they landed. That's what I heard."

"That's what they told me too," Ma'ri said.

Mi'lu and the other Taelons murmured in agreement.

"Exactly," Tay'jay said. "And that's what really happened."

"So a simple expedition gone awry turned into a wild urban legend like that?" Augur asked, still shocked by the utter absurdity of what he had been told.

"You don't believe us? Ask Da'an when she gets back," Tay'jay said. "She'll tell you the exact same story I did—but she'll probably tell it better."

"You can't make that stuff up, man," Darius said.

"Apparently, you can!" Abhaya exclaimed.

"You see, it's reasons like this that we need to hear all the facts in a story," Augur said. "You don't give people all the facts, they start getting creative and before you know it, you've got that tissue of lies you guys just told us."

"Hey, it's no different than that crap I hear about Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny," Ma'ri said.

The group continued laughing at the ridiculous myth. Until they could stand it no longer, they traded myths and legends comparing the facts with fiction. From the lounge to the alien barracks, the humans heard wild stories from Taelon, Espelon, and other alien myths about weird and exotic creatures and demons. In exchange, the Espelons and Taelons heard stories about the Chupacabra, the Loch Ness Monster, Bigfoot, and any other strange mythic creature the humans could think of.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: On the Issue of Mi'en

Linus arrived at the park with his cup of coffee as was routine for him every morning. He was the type of person who loved to people-watch, which was probably why he had such an eye through the lens. It took Linus six years to finally consent to replacing his traditional film camera to digital. Had the many magazines he freelanced for not stopped paying him for not processing the pictures fast enough, he would never have converted. Linus had come to a consensus though. Digital would pay the bills, but film was for everything else. He watched a couple walking together with their large golden retriever by the fountain. He snapped several pictures of them with his old Nikon. Long ago, a volunteer on patrol would have walked right into his shot and he would have had to continue his search elsewhere for symbols of the old Americana. Ever since the priests arrived, however, the volunteer presence had dwindled to nothing. Slowly and steadily, Linus saw the suburban American ways coming back. It was a satisfying sign that even though many things in society changed, there would always be some things that never would. He would always have a picture to take.

The couple was young and vibrant. Linus could tell they were newlyweds. The way they sat by the fountain laughing at their own sweet nothings, and the way they let the dog get some exercise by watching him play with his favorite chew toy—it was the kind life Linus had longed for, but had given up on many years ago.

"Lovely dose of the old ways, eh?" a dark-haired man with a New York accent said.

"Yeah," Linus said.

"Kinda takes you back to the fifties, doesn't it?" he asked.

"Were you even alive in the fifties?" Linus asked, examining the man. He looked way too young to be that old. However, with the way technology was going these days, you could never tell for sure.

"Were _you_?" the man retorted.

"No, but my mom used to love TV shows from that time. I grew up on 'Leave it to Beaver.' "

"So you're a photographer," the man asked, pointing to Linus's camera.

"Sort of," Linus replied uneasily, trying to refocus on the couple. But they had already left.

"Sort of?" the man repeated. "What does that mean: sort of?"

"Well I do some photography to pay the bills, but I'm not technically working for anyone."

"Oh, so you're a freelance photographer. That's good. You never wanna be too loyal to your boss, that's what I always say."

"You do some photography too?"

The green-eyed man smirked at him. "Sort of."

Linus snorted and began his search for a new picture.

"So what magazine you work for?" the man asked.

Linus took a long sip of his coffee. Why would this man not leave him alone? "I work for a lot of magazines. Why?"

"Okay, what kind of magazines you work for? Nature? Home and garden?" There was a long pause before the man asked, "Entertainment?"

Linus twitched and jerked his lens as if he were a sailor in a crow's nest searching desperately for a spot of land.

"I could be wrong, but I imagine you're in entertainment if you're livin' in LA. I can't say I blame you," the man said with a subtle haughtiness. "There's a lot of money to be made in it. I'll bet you pay the bills and then some, especially if you worked for some of the big magazines like 'The Star' and 'The National Enquirer.' Bet a guy like you sees all kinds of action. Yeah, a humbling business entertainment is. That contrast of people at their best and people at their worst jumbled in a whirlwind. I'll bet a guy like you's got all kinds of dirty little secrets you're just waitin' to share with America."

"Um…oh, look," Linus said in a flustered tone, scrambling to find his global. "I think I'm getting a call. I'd better go now."

"No, wait," the man said innocently. "I thought we were just talkin'."

"I…I've gotta answer the phone when my clients call me. They get really mad if I don't."

The man grabbed his arm and twisted it behind his back, stretching his shoulder and causing immense pain. The camera in his hands dropped, tearing the lens away from the camera when it hit the ground.

"My…my camera!" Linus whimpered.

"Pick it up, I'm sure it's fine," the man whispered menacingly.

He pushed Linus on his knees allowing him to round the pieces of the camera under his arm with his free hand.

"Let's take a walk Linny," the man said.

Linus was trembling so hard that he could barely hold his precious camera. It did not even dawn on him to ask the New York ruffian how he knew exactly where Linus's car was. The man ordered him to unlock the car and let them both in. Linus could barely press the button on the handle of the door. The man shoved Linus into the back seat, and then he followed, closing the door behind him.

"Please don't hurt me. If you're a bodyguard, my magazine could sue you for this."

"Oh come on, Linny," the man whispered in a disturbingly warm tone. "Don't you see? I'm tryin' to be your friend here. You look like a man who could use a friend. As friends, I think I should share somethin' with you. You wanna see somethin', Linny? Huh?"

"N-No," Linus whimpered.

"I really think this could help you, Linny. I really think you should see the pictures," the man said, twisting his arms even harder. The pain went from aching to searing.

"All right!" Linus yelled. "I'll-I'll look at the pictures."

"There's a good boy," the man said, pulling out his global. He shoved the pictures under Linus's long nose, and he jerked Linus's head downward so that he could take a good look.

The pictures were those of several families in small suburban neighborhoods. They covered all times of day. Many of them contained a white family with two little girls. There were pictures of them playing in the backyard swimming pool with inflatable Taelon toy shuttles. There were also pictures of the husband and his wife kissing before they left for work. There were pictures of the woman tucking her daughters in to their beds. The younger girl had every kind of Taelon merchandise a child could have. She had a Taelon night light that projected stars and galaxies against the ceiling. She had purple bed sheets and pillowcases with a comforter that had a giant picture of the Taelon embassy in DC woven into it. Even her pajamas looked eerily similar to a Taelon's biosuit. There were a few more with pictures of the girls playing with a white cat outside. The one that caused Linus to cry out was the one picture that broke the fourth wall. The younger girl had spotted Linus taking pictures of her and had waved happily as if what he was doing was normal.

"Looks like you're takin' your obsession with the good old days to the next level, eh Linny?" the man said.

"Oh God! How did you get these?"

"Look closer, buddy," the man said, pushing the global closer to Linus's face.

Linus composed himself and took a long look at the picture of the innocent waving child. He did not understand how this man could possibly have obtained these pictures. None of these pictures were digital and they weren't stored on a computer. They were all film, and he had made no copies. He started to ask the man what he was supposed to be looking for when suddenly a white line outside the photo caught his eye. It was an imperfection so minor that nobody else would've noticed it. But Linus was a perfectionist. His pictures were always perfect. That was why magazines considered him the best freelance photographer in the industry. It did not take Linus long to realize that these pictures had been taken from a photo album. _His_ photo album!

Somehow the man could sense that Linus had figured it out.

"You know, you've got a really nice apartment Linus," he told Linus condescendingly. "Condo in downtown LA. Not many people got the cash these days to rent such a schway habitat. I especially love the contrast between the black and white you got going in the décor. One of these days we'll have to get together and discuss who decorated that. Or did you do that yourself?"

"Who are you? What do you want?" Linus whimpered.

"I'm a private investigator, Linny buddy," he replied calmly. "Pleasure to make your acquaintance."

"You…You broke into my apartment! You went through my things! What kind of man are you?"

The man burst into a laugh so hearty that it scared Linus into stiffness. "Oh come on, Linny. What I do is no different than what you get hired to do to every celebrity on this side of Tinseltown. In a way, you and I are in the same business. I mean, what's a paparazzo but a private investigator whose weapon of choice is the camera? You get my drift?"

Tears were streaming down Linus's eyes.

"I know you may not believe it, but I really do wanna be your friend," the man said in a sweet and innocent voice. "I respect what people like you do. All that slimy, disgusting dirt you dig through all in the name of selling America its celebrity fix. It puts food on the table. I mean everybody's gotta pay the rent, right? So you can see how it tears me up having to turn these into the proper authorities."

"You can't!"

"I've got a big mouth, Linny."

"You wouldn't!"

"I'm from New York. You know how loud we can talk," the man teased.

"They're just pictures," Linus whimpered. "I'm not a peeper. It's just a hobby. I don't take pictures of them taking their clothes off or anything. I'm not a child molester."

"I know that, buddy. I believe you. But you know just as well as I do that nothing's ever 'just a picture.' "

"The evidence was obtained illegally. You didn't have a warrant."

"I'm not a cop, Linus. I'm just a concerned private citizen. Oh, and don't worry about breaking and entering. I didn't leave any signs of forced entry. As far as any officer could tell, you let me in. You are my friend after all, right?"

"What the hell do you want?"

"Information," the man said. "The bread and butter of modern society. That intangible currency that can turn a pauper into a prince and a prince into a pauper all at the same time. You give me what I need, these photos go away, and you can go back to your scopophilic fantasy that helps you sleep at night. That sounds reasonable. Doesn't it? Buddy?"

Linus was sweating so much that his clothing was soaked. He had spilt his coffee several minutes ago. The stain was as cold as his sweat now. His heart was pounding vehemently and he could barely breathe. He probably would've fainted if the man had not been so kind as to rock the dizziness away.

"Take a breath, Linny."

"I'll do…whatever…you say," Linus breathed.

"Atta boy. I knew you'd see things my way," the man said joyfully. The pictures in the man's global flipped to raw video footage of Renee Palmer and a man groping each other in a hotel. Then, the footage switched to Linus in the elevator holding a digital camera.

"Th-That's the job I did the other night," Linus stuttered.

"That's right. Don't worry. I'm not gonna bust you for it," the man said. "All I want to know is who hired you to tape the couple. Simple as that."

"B-Bu-But, I don't know who hired me," Linus said.

"You don't know?" the man asked in a disappointed tone. "Geez, that's too bad. You see, now I gotta take these pictures to the police. You've put me in such an awkward position."

"No! Please!" Linus cried. "I'm begging you! Please!"

"Then, you best to do better than 'I don't know' Linny," the man said with a quiet firmness in his voice. "Come on. You've gotta know something about these guys."

"I got a call about a week ago from these people asking me to take pictures of that woman," Linus whimpered. "They sent me her information. She seemed like such a nice girl. I didn't wanna hurt her, but I was only one car payment away from ownership."

"Yeah, and this _is_ a nice car, Linny."

"I never saw their face."

"Doesn't surprise me."

"Half now, half later. They said they'd pay the rest next month."

"How'd they pay you?"

"Direct deposit."

"Awful ballsy of these guys."

"That's how the editors pay me. They would've paid me with cash, but ever since the government started using smart money…"

"I get it," the man waved off. "Let's see what we can do here."

"M-Maybe you can trace the first payment they gave me."

"That's a great idea, Linny!" the man exclaimed. "I knew you could help me out if you just tried. And I know just the man to help. Let's take a ride back to your apartment. Now that we're good friends, you can invite me officially as a guest."

"Y-Yeah."

"Well, while you're climbing into the front seat and drivin' me home, I'm gonna send these great pictures of yours to my friend."

"Wait! You said you wouldn't show those to anyone!" Linus whimpered.

"I know I said that, but you know that old sayin' about makin' new friends. You know the one about the new ones being silver and the old ones being gold?" the man asked. "You take me back to your apartment safely, you got no worries."

Linus climbed into his front seat and started his car.

"Buckle up for safety, buddy," the man said, demonstrating by buckling his own seatbelt.

It was the longest drive home Linus had ever made.

* * *

Augur had no idea whether or not Street's enthusiasm with the Espelons was a good thing. He had not expected her to be so captivated by them, much less to spend the majority of her time with them. Every time he entered the ANA building, he found Street in the barracks jabbering on with the Espelons like a sixteen-year-old gossip queen. Street had never had any true friends. She had contacts and acquaintances that helped her run her bootlegging businesses. She even had that group that took her to street parties. But Street had never had a friend she with whom could really sit down and socialize. He liked that Street had finally seemed to find some level of normalcy in her life with these aliens, but he did not want her to obsess over that.

"So TMZ's saying that Renee's gonna go on a talk show with that Franklin woman," Street said to the group of Espelons and Taelons playing a card game in the barracks.

"Get outta here. Are you serious?" Ma'ri asked.

"Are you sure it's Renee?" a Taelon named La'nu asked. "Because the television programs I've been watching all say that it's Hubble. I heard the other ANA officers forced him to make a statement."

"Well whoever's going on, it's about damn time," Nu'na said, passing out cards from the deck. They were playing Uno. "I mean, how much water's gotta boil over before you realize you need to lower the temperature?"

"Seriously," Mi'lu said.

"What ever happened to the good, old-fashioned press conference?" Tay'jay asked. "At least that way, Hubble's got some control over what's said. I don't know what the hell he's thinking."

"All the press conferences are being reserved for congressional candidates who used to support the ANA," Street said. "I heard that congressional supporters are dropping like flies."

"You think they're going to have Doors reps there too?" Mi'lu asked.

"They've really tried to take a back seat to all of this," Street said.

"You want a hand?" Tay'jay interrupted offering her some cards.

"Sure," Street said securing her place in the circle in between Mi'lu and Ma'ri. "Is it just regular Uno?"

"Of course," Tay'jay replied.

"But anyway, I couldn't see them backing Renee. I mean they've already replaced her," Street continued.

"Still, it wouldn't surprise me if Franklin brought an old employee or an old boyfriend or something. You know, to turn up the heat," Ma'ri said. "I mean that's what you humans are all about, right? Ratings?"

"Only during sweeps months, remember?" Street said. "Besides, Liam had been trying to get Renee on the show for a while. I think Franklin's different, especially after she got caught up in that hijacking fiasco on the Mothership."

"I just don't envy Da'an for having to come back to this mess," Ma'ri said. "You know someone's gonna get pissy and say, 'This is all your fault! You weren't here to stop it!' Or some sha'bra like that."

"She should sick Mi'en on whoever says that," Nu'na said.

"I seriously believe that Mi'en would take a skrill in the heart for Da'an," Du'ma said. "No, more than that. She would kill for her."

"What's wrong with that?" Nu'na asked.

The entire group darted confused looks in Nu'na's direction.

"Well, better Da'an than some hack like Zo'or," Nu'na said.

"So what is the deal with Mi'en?" Street said. "She's been acting weird ever since T'than got killed. Was there something between them?"

The eyes of the group were all on Street, and they were all eyes of uneasiness—all except for Nu'na's eyes. She appeared quite complacent with her deck.

"You guys are such babies," Nu'na scoffed. "I don't get why everyone has such a problem. It's like Da'an says, she's not even technically—"

The rest of the group groaned.

"Nu'na!" Mi'lu cried.

"What is wrong with you?" Ma'ri asked in an appalled tone.

"I'm just saying it is not a big deal," Nu'na said, "and I wish everyone would stop acting like it is."

"Wait, what's going on?" Street asked. "I thought T'than didn't like Mi'en because she was one of those para—you know…"

"_Para'shims_," La'nu pronounced for her.

"Yeah."

"I thought you said you didn't know what the deal was with them," Nu'na said.

"Well, I…I just assumed you'd tell me more about Mi'en and her being a _para'shim_," Street said. "What is a _para'shim_ anyway? What does it mean?"

The group paused quietly, but Nu'na rolled her eyes at the group's sensitivity to the subject.

Tay'jay sighed and put down his deck making it obvious that they were not going to finish this game. "You want the literal or the cultural meaning?"

"There's a difference?" Street asked.

"It doesn't really matter," Mi'lu said wryly.

"The scientific definition of _para'shim_ is 'hybrid' or 'half-breed,'" Ma'ri explained. "The term was used to explain the first _para'shims_ that were born. Apparently, _para'shims_ are the result of a rare genetic disorder that degenerates the reproductive organs. On the inside it looks like a _para'shim_ is some kind of anomalous border between a transgender and a gendered species. I don't know how many _para'shims_ still exist out there, but I'm sure it's not a lot. But the first ones were rounded up by the Taelon Synod for study thousands of years ago. They'd do the same thing humans do to people with disorders today. They'd examine them every few months or so. Over the course of the examinations, they realized that as the _para'shim_ matured, eventually its reproductive system would erode away entirely."

"It is the cruel fate of every birthed _para'shim_. There is no way to stop the degeneration process," Du'ma explained further. "The only thing lucky about Mi'en is that she was born at a time when the Synod outlawed the killing of _para'shims_. Had she been born during Tay'jay's generation or earlier, her family probably would have had her euthanized."

"Eventually, the word _para'shim_ evolved in a figurative standard to mean 'nothing,' " Ma'ri said. "It's an insult. It's like the way the n-word became a curse word. If you call any Taelon a _para'shim_ who's not a _para'shim_, that's probably the only time you'll ever see a Taelon beat the sha'bra out of you."

"Although, most Taelons on the Mothership would probably just have a volunteer kill you or something," La'nu pointed out. "The point is that no non-Taelon or non-Espelon should say it. It's considered offensive."

"Just like the n-word," Street compared.

"Correct," Ma'ri said. "Current Taelon scientists define a _para'shim_ as a null-gender. Not a _transgender _like the Taelons used to be, not a gendered species like the humans, not even an asexual species like the Taelons are now—just nothing. A _para'shim_ has no reproductive organs. Therefore it has no gender. And you can't even call it asexual really because asexual beings can still reproduce. A _para'shim_ can't even do that."

"Needless to say, the Taelons look down on _para'shims_," Du'ma said. "From a societal standpoint, they serve no purpose. They have no legacy to offer the Commonality. The prejudice especially grew when our planet was destroyed and the need to produce the next generation grew."

"If it weren't the talent that _para'shims_ like Mi'en displayed, all the _para'shims_ probably would've been left to die like we were," Tay'jay said. "The few advocates that existed in the Synod argued that even though a _para'shim_ couldn't provide a tangible legacy like a Taelon could, they could teach others their skills, and that's a legacy in of itself."

"_Para'shims_, for some reason, are really skilled with their hands," Mi'lu said. "They all display unusually high mathematical reasoning skills. It's like some kind of bizarre evolutionary exchange. They apply their knowledge through their piloting skills, technical skills and construction skills. If Mi'en had been born a normal Taelon with the skills she's got, she probably would've been an elite engineer."

"So if Mi'en really doesn't have a gender, why does she call herself a female?" Street asked.

"It doesn't really matter," Nu'na said. "I asked her about that, and Mi'en said it was because of something Nye told her. I guess Mi'en just wants to be a girl. Who knows? Anyway, Mi'en was born into a very conservative family. The _Ha'phereons_ are a family of…army brats I guess is what you could call it."

"They've got a real big military history, that family," Tay'jay said. "Generals, war ministers, fleet commanders, you name it. Some of the best Pa'dar warriors were _Ha'phereons_. Because of that, they believe in the order of all things. Militarism is social Darwinism at it's most cutthroat. You don't survive unless you've got the skills. So when Mi'en was classified as a _para'shim_, you can understand why many of the members viewed her as the weakest of the clan."

"Most of the time, they never really passed Mi'en off as a _para'shim_," La'nu said. "She was their dirty little secret they kept behind locked doors. They treated her like a normal Taelon, but they kept her extremely isolated from others. If they could have, they probably would never have told Mi'en she was ever a _para'shim_. That is why Mi'en hates it when people refer to her as a _para'shim_. She was alienated, but never as alienated as most _para'shims_."

"Probably never would've been were it not for the events that led to her and T'than's breakdown," Du'ma added. "Mi'en and T'than had always gotten along when they were young, right?"

"Well, I mean, he treated Mi'en like she was always weaker, but yeah, he never really hated her," Tay'jay shrugged. "He just kind of looked down on her, I guess. Never really expected much from her."

"Yes," Du'ma thought sadly. "I still pity Mi'en for that falling out to this day."

"What falling out?" Street asked.

"T'than was arranged to marry this really prominent Taelon from a powerful family," Nu'na said.

"Prominent for being a first-class whore," Tay'jay scoffed.

"No more than most young Taelons were back then," Du'ma defended.

"I am sorry, Du'ma, but I have to agree with Tay'jay," La'nu said. "That Taelon was a stone cold hoochie."

"What?" Street asked in shock.

"The mate T'than was arranged to marry had a nasty reputation in the Commonality for sleeping around," La'nu said. "I mean Taelons encourage mating with multiple partners, but this was ridiculous. He would impregnate Taelons or would become pregnant himself and the family would always have to clean up the mess. He was like Paris Hilton combined with Ron Jeremy. How and why the _Ha'phereons_ didn't know about it is beyond me."

"I doesn't really surprise me," Tay'jay said. "A lot of families didn't know about it. Only the really prominent families like mine and the _Zunus'tos_ knew, and the only reason we found out was because he had allegedly impregnated a _Zunus'to_."

"Regardless of whether or not the rest of the _Ha'phereons_ knew, Mi'en did know and she couldn't stand the little punk-bitch," Nu'na said. "Which is why I don't understand to this day why T'than got so pissed. I think she did him a favor."

"So what happened then?" Street pressed.

"Well, T'than and Mi'en hadn't seen each other in a long time," Nu'na said. "But yeah, it was the day of the wedding, and both families were making arrangements. T'than and Mi'en were catching up and talking, and that was when Mi'en told T'than outright that she did not want T'than marrying this Taelon. T'than thought she was out of her mind, and then somehow he convinced himself that she thought he was an inadequate mate when really it was the other way around."

"The few Taelons that did get married back then did so for political reasons. However, most of the wedded despised the mates they married," Du'ma explained. "It was not an issue of love. Love is foreign to the Taelon lexicon. It was an issue of attraction. Oftentimes, one of the mates felt the other was inadequate. Marriage is considered an antiquated tradition in Taelon and Espelon cultures. Not even the elite families practice it anymore."

"Yeah, and the reason Mi'en didn't want T'than to marry this Taelon is because she knew about his reputation," Nu'na said. "She and the Taelon had gone to the same piloting school, and he had a history of sleeping around there too. So Mi'en decides for the good of her older sibling and the good of her family to try and talk the bastard out of the marriage. At least that way it would look like he was the inadequate mate and not T'than. Mi'en finds him in the meditation room moping about something. The Taelon puts on this pathetic display saying how he's so insecure and he never feels good enough and that's why he can't stay with his mates after he's done them. Mi'en, in her moment of weakness and like most of the mates he's taken, feels sorry for him. She thinks she's convincing him not to go through with the marriage when all the time she's really being ensnared in his trap. It turns out the bitch was in _ka'athaam_ and was looking for one last thrill before 'commitment.' Who better to do it with than a _para'shim_ who can't get pregnant? Suddenly, before Mi'en knows it, the little skank's on top of her, trying to mate with her."

"T'than's already stressed about the marriage and the argument he's had with Mi'en makes him want to go to the meditation room and clear his mind before the big moment," Tay'jay said. "So he goes up to the meditation room, and what does he see?"

"Mi'en making out with his future mate," Street said.

"And he…was…livid," Nu'na said. "He storms into the hall where everyone's gathered to get ready for the ceremony, and he roars for not just the whole room but for the whole Commonality to hear, 'This wedding is off!' Mi'en tries to reconcile with him and that's when he attacks her saying that she was a slut who wanted his mate for herself. After he was through with her, both families blamed her for ruining the wedding, and she was cast out of her own family. Even when they found out the rumors were true several years later, they still never forgave her."

"Oh wow," Street reacted in shock. "That's so cruel."

"Ever since then, T'than made it his mission to humiliate Mi'en at any possible chance," Du'ma said. "The two were sworn enemies."

"And T'than had the more prominence because he got more exposure than she did, so who do you think all the elite Taelons are gonna side with?" Nu'na said. "T'than, of course. He put a stigma on her all because of some stupid miscommunication."

"That's exactly how it started with Zo'or too," Tay'jay said.

"That's horrible," Street said feeling terrible for Mi'en. "But if Mi'en was treated so badly, how did she end up with such a great job like piloting the Mothership?"

"Da'an gave it to her," Tay'jay said as if the answer was an obvious one. "Da'an had worked her ass of helping to design and build the bridge of the Mothership, and she wanted the best pilots flying it."

"Da'an designed the Mothership's bridge?" Street exclaimed.

"She was the one who was put over the project, but she helped the engineers design it," a Taelon named Ta'li said. "To the Taelons, the bridge was the most important part of the Mothership and the last thing Da'an wanted was them fouling it up. The bridge is the most secure part of the entire ship. If you want an idea of how safe it is, let me just say that if the Mothership were ever to crash, the place I'd want to be is the bridge."

"That's crazy," Street said in awe. "I never knew that. That is awesome."

"Da'an's an awesome Taelon," Nu'na said.

The rest of the group laughed at Nu'na's love for gloating.

"Anyway, Da'an didn't really care that Mi'en was a _para'shim_," Ta'li said.

"By the time Da'an knew about Mi'en, Mi'en had re-built her reputation as an elite fighter pilot," Tay'jay said. "Mi'en can fly anything anywhere. I bet that she could fly her way out a black hole if she wanted to. She was one of the best damn pilots in the Taelon-Jaridian War. Needless to say, Da'an was furious when the Synod refused to put her on the Mothership's piloting roster."

"The way Mi'en tells it, Da'an fought tooth and nail to get her on that roster," Ma'ri said. "Even threatened to remove Quo'on as leader of the Synod and to take away T'than's job because he was the main one advocating against Mi'en."

"I guess that's when Mi'en really started to take interest in Da'an," Nu'na said. "But Da'an was too busy dealing with her own stuff then and forgot about the whole thing. I mean why wouldn't she? Da'an didn't really care. She just wanted the best Taelons they had working on that Mothership. Plus I think Da'an hated being married to Quo'on and was always lookin' for a fight with him."

"Da'an was married to Quo'on?" Street exclaimed.

"Did you never wonder why Zo'or and Quo'on looked so much alike?" Du'ma asked.

"Or why Da'an and Zo'or ended up being the last two candidates to replace him when he died?" Ta'li added.

"So Zo'or is Da'an and Quo'on's child? Eww! Why in the world would Da'an marry him?" Street asked. "Much less have a kid for him?"

"It was an arranged marriage," Tay'jay said wryly. "She didn't really have a choice."

"Yeah, Mi'en goes for Taelons like that," Nu'na said, ignoring Tay'jay's statements. "She likes those Taelons in power positions."

"What?" Street asked.

Tay'jay slammed his fist on the floor.

"Nu'na! Geez!" Mi'lu exclaimed.

"You could not resist, could you?" Du'ma cried in anger.

"What is the big deal?" Nu'na yelled. "What's that human saying? 'It takes two to tango.' "

The group groaned and a loud, incoherent argument erupted.

"Wait a minute! Guys! Time out!" Street yelled over the group. Their attention focused on her. "Are you guys saying what I think you're saying? Is Mi'en…?"

Most of the group blushed in embarrassment for Mi'en.

"Is it not obvious?" Nu'na asked in a pragmatic tone.

"Nu'na!" the group bellowed.

"Not talking about it doesn't make it any less true!" Nu'na shot back defensively.

"Okay, that's it! You are not allowed to talk anymore," Ma'ri yelled.

"Whatever," Nu'na said rising to her feet. "You people are in denial. Just accept it. Da'an and Mi'en have. You're the only ones who can't. Come on La'nu, Ta'li."

She marched to the other side of the barracks to join a new group of Espelons and Taelons. La'nu and Ta'li followed her.

"Sorry about that," Ma'ri said to Street. "And we're not in denial. Mi'en just doesn't like to talk about herself a lot, so…you know…it feels a little weird talking about her behind her back. Especially when we know how Mi'en feels about Da'an. We wouldn't have a problem with it if Da'an and Link weren't—"

Tay'jay whipped his hand up to silence Ma'ri.

"Mi'en and Da'an have an…understanding," Tay'jay said, rolling his eyes. "That's all I'm gonna say."

When no one else said anything, Street was forced to accept Tay'jay's statement as it was. She quickly changed the subject by offering them to play a new Uno game. The group enthusiastically complied.

Augur had been listening to most of the conversation, but he had to leave before they were finished when his global rang.

"Link? Is that you?" he asked, seeing Link in a darkroom with a rat-faced bald man.

"Hey, Augur," Link said casually. "Take a look at my new friend Linus here."

"Oh, wow. You did it!" Augur exclaimed. "So what next?"

"I'm sending you an email address. I want you to run a trace on it," Link said. "Linus here has graciously offered us a chance to trace his money trail."

"I'm on it," Augur said quickly. "Good work Link."

"Hey. It's what I do," Link shrugged.

Augur turned off the global and darted in to get Street.

* * *

One late afternoon, Da'an was watching Ariel play with a group of children in a small open field. They were rolling down the slanted slopes to see who could roll the fastest.

"Tell me more about the gateway, Nye," Da'an said, when she felt Nye sit next to her.

"What more must you know about the gateway than what you experienced?" Nye asked in response.

"I cannot describe what I experienced," Da'an said. "All I know is that it nearly killed me. It killed Ma'el, yet he was so drawn to it. What is this power the gateway has over us?"

"The gateway is a natural inter-dimensional rift," Nye said. "It is a bending of the border between this world and the next. No one knows how the bending is created. Many speculate that it is the result of a large accumulation of dark energy. I could see this being the case, but I am not sure."

"I leapt through the gateway," Da'an said. "Just before I destroyed Ma'el's labyrinth, I leapt through the gateway. The doorway closed and never opened again. I remember how I returned, but I do not understand how it is possible."

Nye chuckled. "Do you believe everything happens for a purpose?"

"Not everything," Da'an said. "But many things."

"You are an old friend of the void, not so?" Nye said. "How many times have you faced your death? How many times have you crossed into the next plane of existence?"

"You believe that because I have nearly died so many times that I am sensitive to the gateway?" Da'an asked.

"You are sensitive to the gateway because of your psychic powers," Nye said. "The next plane of existence is an old acquaintance of yours, established that ill night your parent drowned you. I am suggesting that when you travel a certain path enough times, your psyche eventually remembers the way home."

"That's it," Da'an realized. "I do not need a machine to cross between this plane and the next."

"No more than a teleporter requires a shuttle to cross through interdimensional space," Nye said.

"But if I can cross the gateway naturally, why did Ma'el bother to create a machine?" Da'an asked mournfully.

Nye turned her head as if she were really turning away from Da'an's question. "You should appreciate that power, Da'an. It is the one power you have over the high priest, and it is a power for which you have paid a heavy price."

"But why is that important?" Da'an asked.

"To know the answer to that question is to know the true origins of the Commonality," Nye said. "But we may discuss this more so later. I came to invite you and Ariel to the temple for worship."

"Giving me a glimpse into your life, Nye?" Da'an asked.

"As deep a glimpse as you are willing to take," Nye replied. "I hope to see you there."

* * *

When Link returned to the lair he was surprised to find Street missing.

"Where's your latchkey kid?" Link asked.

"Prattling on with her new friends like a gossipy teenager," Augur said.

"Last time I checked, she was a teenager," Link said.

"She's been spending a lot of time hanging around those aliens lately. Most of them seem like nice enough people, but I really don't like her hanging around that Nu'na girl," Augur said. "That one seems to have no problem putting ideas into people's heads."

"Nu'na's an outspoken little bitch, but I'm sure Street can handle her," Link said. "What's up with you, anyway? You sound like some kind of worried papa or somethin'. You get the package I sent you, by the way?"

"Yeah I did," Augur said. "Haven't bothered to look at it. I figure I don't need to know any more about Linus than I already do."

"Good strategy," Link said. "You know, you shouldn't worry so much about Street. Every girl has to go through that gossip phase. It's always better for them to get through it when they're teenagers. At least then it's the most harmless."

"Are you kidding me?" Augur asked. "Were you watching the same after school specials I was when I was a kid?"

"Last time I checked, Street doesn't go to school," Link retorted.

"Stop saying stuff like that! I just don't want Street to get down on her species, you know?" Augur said. "Kids have a natural draw towards the exotic. It makes them want what they can't have and despise what they already have."

"You really think hanging around a bunch of aliens is gonna turn Street into a misanthrope?"

"I think a lot of Espelons couldn't care less about what happens to us," Augur said. "They act like we asked for the Taelons to come and screw up our planet."

"Well of course the Espelons couldn't care less what happens to this miserable dirtball," Link defended, "no more than the humans could give a rat's ass what happens to the Espelons or the Taelons. The fact of the matter is the Espelons have it pretty rough here. They've taken time away from their families and friends just to help a species that doesn't even trust them no matter how hard they work. Right now, the only thing that keeps them here is the satisfaction that leaders like Da'an and Tay'jay will protect them from any ill will humanity may harbor towards them just because they look a lot like Taelons. And pretty soon they won't even have that."

"I guess I can understand that, but we don't mean to be inappreciative," Augur said. "Besides, I've seen plenty of humans hanging around the Espelons thanking them for all they're doing."

"Just not the ones that matter," Link said.

"What do you mean?"

"Focus on the problem at hand."

Augur sighed and continued his work on the trace. Several minutes later, a strange email address appeared flashing on the screen. Augur ran it against the Internet database and found a blank profile.

"Looks like another dead end," Link said.

"Not necessarily," Augur said. "Political offices and things like that don't have ISP profiles. Hey babe."

"Oh, I love you too cookie, but the last time I checked the 'don't ask, don't tell' policy was still in effect," Link joked.

"I was talkin' to the holo-girl," Augur said, pointing to the holographic image of J. Street in a tye-dye tank top and acid-washed jeans. "I want you to take this profile and run it against the list of political websites in the United States."

"You got it, friend," the holo-Street said.

"Sure got over her real fast, didn't ya?" Link asked cynically.

"I know where you're going with that," Augur snapped. "Don't!"

"Ah, here we are!" the holo-Street chimed. "The Church of the Companions Political Action Committee. I'm linking to their website now."

"The Church of the Companions has a PAC?" Link asked skeptically.

"Last time I checked they didn't," Augur said. "They've got a lot of money, but not enough to justify the amount that was deposited in Linus's account."

"Okay. Weirdness," holo-Street said.

"What's the problem?" Link asked, knowing exactly what the holograph was going to tell him.

"See for yourselves," holo-Street said, bringing up the picture of a broken link on Augur's monitor.

"You've gotta be kidding me," Augur said. "How could their site be down at a time like this?"

"More like it never existed," Link said, pointing to the fine print under the large red letters that had said 'File not found.' Underneath, it said, "The website you are looking for does not exist on this server."

"Well maybe they don't have a website," Augur said.

"Or they formed the PAC for the sole purpose of paying our friend Linus to sabotage Palmer's campaign," Link said. "Come on, man. Politicians pull this kind of crap all the time. It's just like using the soft money loophole, but better."

"They form a PAC that lasts only as long as the money's being paid. That way, there's no limit to the amount of funding they can receive and what they can do with it," Augur said. "Only someone trying to make a false trail would do something like this. You thinkin' what I'm thinkin'?"

"This has got the high priest written all over it," Link said. "Looks like we're still at a dead end."

"Maybe not," Augur said. "Tell me something. Was Linus paid in full already?"

"No, he's got another payment coming," Link said, "but that's weeks from now."

"Maybe we can use him and his tabloid friends to get them to speed up the payment," Augur said. "Now, I'm really gonna need Street for this one. Go get Linus and tell him you wanna have a talk with his bosses at Extra."

"Why are they so important?" Link asked.

"Because they're the ones who first broadcast that video and those pictures to go along with it," Augur said. "Whoever helped Linus and the pro-Taelon candidates make that campaign is probably working there."

"I guess you can hold on to those photos for now," Link said, "but I'll tell ya if you're doin' what I think you're doin' I could use some help."

"I'll drag Street kicking and screaming if I have to this time," Augur said.

* * *

Da'an probably should have been watching Nye and the worshipers conduct their rituals. However, her combing the stray grass blades out of the feisty Ariel's hair gave Da'an little room to pay attention.

"There," Da'an told Ariel. "That's all of them. How in the world do you manage to get yourself so dirty in a matter of minutes?"

"I don't know," Ariel shrugged innocently. "Mommy, can I go play with Kaya now?"

"Oh no, you are not going back outside," Da'an said sternly. "I just finished cleaning your hair from your last fiasco."

"But we're not going outside. Kaya works with the nurses and they're teaching her how to weave. She said she'd make something pretty for me."

Da'an sighed. She felt guilty for having to leave Nye and the worshippers so soon after she had promised Nye she would attend, but this was Ariel's vacation too. The child was entitled to enjoy herself however she pleased.

"Lead the way," Da'an said.

Ariel grabbed Da'an's hand and pulled her out of the worshipping room and into the stone halls. They reached a room with a ray of white sunlight peeking through the doorway and feminine alien chatter echoing out into the halls. Immediately, a deluge of memories flooded Da'an's mind.

They came inside to see a web of silken threads of all colors of the rainbow zigzagging across the room, over metal pulleys and into the knitting tools of several Espelon women of all ages. The room may have changed, but Da'an recognized it instantly. It was one of the rooms they used to perform that terrible ritual. Da'an recognized the tiny window, the only hole through which the sun's rays could peek. She picked a spot where several nurses were chattering merrily. That was where she had lain for ten grueling days. Even the slight chill that drafted its way through the room and out into the halls seemed like an old and bitter acquaintance.

Ariel found her new friend. She was a pale white-haired girl no older and no taller than Ariel. She was wearing a small multi-colored robe reminiscent to any human of an African dress. She only spoke in a Taelon dialect foreign to Ariel, but Ariel and the girl seemed to have found their own communication system through hand signals and body language.

"Mommy, this is Kaya," Ariel said excitedly. "Kaya, this is my mommy."

Da'an bent to her knee and took Kaya's tiny quivering hands. The child kept her head lowered, but forged a tiny smile on her round and blushing face. Da'an gently titled Kaya's chin upward and greeted her in her language.

Kaya blushed with excitement and responded to Da'an's greetings. Immediately, she started asking Da'an questions about the ritual. This caused Da'an to stiffen. Kaya's mother had been listening to Kaya's questions and pointed her finger at Kaya's back. Kaya lurched forward as if she had been poked. She yelped and retreated quickly to her mother's side. She appeared more embarrassed than hurt by her mother's actions.

"I apologize for her rudeness," the mother said. "The girl is shy but extremely curious. A strange contrast, not so?"

"Perhaps it is a good contrast," Da'an said. "It keeps her open-minded but staggers her recklessness."

"You have been spending much time with Priestess Nye, I see," the mother said dryly. She belted orders in the Taelon language to the other nurses that they would speak Eunoia or Earth languages as long as Da'an was in the room. As quick as the flipping of a light switch, the conversations changed into Eunoia primarily.

Naya invited Ariel to help her weave with her friends.

"What are you weaving?" Da'an asked sitting next to Naya's mother.

"Ceremonial robes for the older children. Soon it will be time for their rites of passage into adulthood," the mother answered. "My name is Mapé. Naya is my twelfth child."

"Why so many?" Da'an asked.

"Simply because I can," Mapé replied. "My mate encourages it, and the community assists us in rearing them."

Da'an's attention refocused for a moment when she heard the sounds of giggling from a familiar voice. She asked Mapé if she would watch Ariel for a moment. When Mapé complied, Da'an rushed out of the room and followed the sounds of laughter and rapid footsteps. She followed it until she found herself outside the temple, at a place she had never seen before. There was a large cylindrical building that could only be a watchtower to Da'an. It mystified her that she had never seen it before. It was made of stone just like the temple. Instead of steps, it had a long and steep ramp that warped through the inside until it came to a tiny hole at the top. Even though their facades were dropped, Da'an immediately recognized the two figures that were running inside the tower and up the ramp. It was Mi'en and Po, the pilot Mi'en had embraced the day of their arrival.

Da'an chuckled and decided to leave the couple be. She decided that Ariel would be all right without her for a few hours and rejoined Nye at mass.

When the mass was over, Da'an returned for Ariel. She was wearing a ruby-colored wrap around her hair. When Da'an inspected it closer, she found that the wrap was actually a small multi-colored tapestry of several different shades of red and violets woven in patterns of triangular chains.

"Naya made it for me," Ariel said. "Isn't it pretty?"

"It's beautiful," Da'an replied examining the texture.

"See? Now my hair won't get messed up when I play with Naya and her friends now," Ariel said triumphantly.

"That's very true," Da'an said. "Are you hungry?"

"Yeah!"

"Let's see if Nye can find you something good to eat," Da'an said, taking Ariel into her arms and carrying her back to the mass hall.

They found Nye wishing the followers good day and giving small bits of advice in a crowd half the size it was during mass. When the last bits of them finally left, Nye hurried over to Da'an.

"I am glad that you enjoyed the worship," Nye said. "It always does my followers good to have recent participants of the ritual return."

"It was a lovely service," Da'an said.

"What is this?" Nye asked, gliding her hand across Ariel's wrap. "It is beautiful. Did one of the nurses make it for you?"

"It was Naya," Ariel said.

"Naya is a talented little Espelon," Nye complimented. "I will tell her that when I see her."

"Yes, well, Ariel's getting hungry," Da'an said. "Would you mind showing us to the mess hall?"

"I believe you are quite capable of finding it alone," Nye said.

"I'll just meet you there then," Da'an said in a haughty tone. She carried Ariel out of the temple.

"Yes," Nye said absent-mindedly. She made her way to the watchtower.

* * *

Street had told Augur she was quite entertained where she was and to call her if he needed something really important. After he left, the group continued playing their game of Uno. When she beat the group at three straight games, Tay'jay decided to switch to something else. He pulled out a deck of regular cards and initiated a game of War.

"Why does Nu'na always act like she's got her thumb up her butt?" Street asked.

"Aw, Nu'na's fine. She's probably just on her period," Tay'jay shrugged.

"Tay'jay with the way you act when you're on your period, you have little room to be talkin', hon," Ma'ri said.

"What?" Street exclaimed. "Did you just say what I think you said?"

"What? About Tay'jay being on his period?" Ma'ri asked with a shrug. "It wouldn't surprise me if he's on his right now."

"That was outta line, ma'am!" Tay'jay shouted, pointing a scolding finger at Ma'ri.

"Oh…my God!" Street cried. "Do male Espelons have…you know…periods?"

"If you're talking about that thing you women do with the blood and cramps and mood swings, it's not exactly like that," Tay'jay said.

"All Taelons and Espelons go through something we call _ka'athaam_," Du'ma explained. "It is our reproductive cycle. It is characterized by frequent energy spills, fatigue and mood swings. Some Taelons talk about having strange dreams as well. However, I've never had that happen to me."

"Can we please change the subject?" Tay'jay asked desperately.

"No! I wanna know about this," Street said. "It's fine time men had to go through what we go through every month."

"Well unfortunately we don't have ours every month like you girls do," Ma'ri said. "It varies with every Espelon and Taelon. I have mine once every ten years or so, but I've met Taelons who only have theirs once every five hundred years."

Du'ma hesitantly raised his hand to confirm he was one of them.

"Aw man!" Street cried. "That is so not fair."

"Think about it," Mi'lu said. "If you guys had yours once every ten to fifty years like we do, you'd only get one chance to have kids. Wouldn't that suck for a species like yours that only lives for about a hundred years if you're lucky?"

"I'd still rather not have mine once a month," Street said. "My mom always used to say if men ever had to go through periods like women do we'd never have to feel pain and we'd only have them once a year."

"Seriously need to change the subject," Tay'jay plead.

"Oh, then I guess I shouldn't tell you that we don't have cramps either," Du'ma said.

"But do men go through the mood swings and stuff?" Street asked.

"No, that would be us," Ma'ri said. "However, the best times are when my husband and I enter our reproductive cycles at the same time. You see this huge role reversal. I become the moody, bossy, overtly strong masculine influence, and he becomes the flustered, subservient, overtly feminine influence. Scares the hell out of the kids."

"So the men act like women and the women act like men?" Street asked.

"They damn well better be the subservient ones in _ka'athaam_," Du'ma said. "After all, the female Espelon is the one who has to carry the children for six months. They'd better treat you like queens."

"I just don't know how Taelons did it back when you reproduced heterosexually," Ma'ri said. "Never knowing who gets to carry the kid would just kill me."

"That is not necessarily how it works," Du'ma said. "Usually, the one who is in _ka'athaam_ is the one who will receive the fetus. However, when both Taelons were in _ka'athaam_, it was really anyone's guess."

"How did the Taelons do it back then?" Street asked. "I wanna know everything."

"There is really not much to tell," Du'ma said. "I suppose the best way to explain it is to compare it with humans. Your genders are defined by what kind of reproductive system you have. The male has a penis and the female has a uterus. Taelons have a more universal reproductive system. It is one of the reasons why evolving into an asexually reproductive species did not seem so far-fetched. However, the amount of energy required to produce a child requires two Taelon participants. The Taelon bodies combine for a brief moment in what is called a 'joining.' The cores of their bodies fuse for one brief moment and form a spark. Depending on how much energy is used and, of course, on fate and nature, the spark will eventually form a new energy consciousness. The one who impregnates is called the primary parent. The one who is impregnated is called the secondary parent."

"Shouldn't it be the other way around?" Street asked.

"The idea is that if the pregnant Taelon dies or something else happens, it is possible to transfer the child to the primary," Du'ma said, "or if the child is developed enough, they exorcise the child and the primary is left to care for it. So ultimately the one who is not impregnated is considered the primary parent because if all else fails, he is the one who will remain to care for the baby. But now that I think about it, it does not make much sense, does it?"

"With Espelons, it's the same thing," Ma'ri said. "The only difference is that we're truly gendered so the female's always gonna end up with the child. The most sure-fire way for conception to occur is if the female's in _ka'athaam_. If only the male's in _ka'athaam_, the chances of successful conception diminish, but it can still happen."

"Is that why you guys don't have that 'he' or 'she' gender reference even though you used to reproduce heterosexually?" Street asked Du'ma.

"That is exactly why," Du'ma answered. "You are a very quick learner, Miss Street."

"Nah, you guys just describe it really well," Street said sheepishly.

"Can we please change the subject now?" Tay'jay begged.

"All right, sweetie," Ma'ri said feigning pity. "I still don't know why you're so uncomfortable with all of this. All you ever do is hang around females, and we talk about this all the time."

"Well, usually I leave when we get to this part," Tay'jay said.

"He's just so cute when he's uncomfortable," Mi'lu said, pinching Tay'jay's arm.

Street and the others laughed as Tay'jay blushed and whined for the girls to stop teasing him.

* * *

By the time Nye reached the watchtower, Po had already left. Mi'en was sitting alone watching the clouds glide across the sky. She did not appear phased by Nye's visit.

"I am sorry for the loss of your older sibling," Nye said.

"Don't be," Mi'en said. "I have passed the stage of mourning."

"How have Da'an's colleagues treated you?" Nye asked.

"Well enough," Mi'en said. "I enjoy my time with Da'an."

"I have been meaning to speak with you about your sudden decision to depart," Nye said, sitting cross-legged next to Mi'en.

Mi'en had no choice but to sit next to Nye.

"It was a conscious decision on my part," Mi'en said. "I would do it all over again if I could."

"You do understand my concern for you, Mi'en?" Nye asked bluntly.

"It is none of your concern. Da'an gave me the opportunity of a lifetime. I could never have passed her up."

"From what Da'an tells me, she offered you nothing. You offered yourself to her."

"It does not matter," Mi'en snapped.

"You have plenty of people who care for you here," Nye said. "What do you hope to gain by following Da'an like some common servant?"

"I am not Da'an's servant. I am her friend," Mi'en said. "She is my best friend."

"Po is your best friend," Nye corrected. "Po accepted your condition long before Da'an even knew of your existence here. You are chasing a waterfall, Mi'en. You can love Da'an in any way you choose, but do not forget to whom Da'an ultimately belongs. No matter how good a friend Da'an becomes, she will always be nothing more than a friend."

"I know that," Mi'en said. "I have always been realistic. I will admit that I get an unusual amount of joy from the time I spend with Da'an. There are times when I wish I could have her all to myself. I can't help it. Something about her draws people. I'd like to say it's her warmth, but that's not what it is. It's a cold aura that surrounds Da'an, but it is a pleasant cold. Like a cool breeze in the summer heat— I cannot describe it, but I am certain that most people cannot. I know that Da'an belongs to Link, but—"

"Link is not to whom I was referring," Nye said strictly. "Da'an has a fate in store for her more powerful and more important than anything any human, Taelon or Espelon could possibly provide. Her body has already changed. Her mind and spirit are following. We can all sense it."

"Who?" Mi'en inquired. "Who can sense it?"

"That is of no importance to you," Nye said. "Once the metamorphosis is complete, it will be Da'an's decision to keep the worldly bonds to which she has tied herself. You have placed yourself in a very difficult position. I would rather not see one such as you, who has already endured so much hardship, suffer another fatal blow."

"I have no expectations of Da'an," Mi'en said sharply. "I chose to protect Da'an and serve her until this has taken its course. You can keep your petty secrets from Da'an. I choose not to hide mine. Da'an and I have an understanding."

"And what about this understanding have you shared with Po?" Nye asked.

Mi'en fell silent and lowered her head in shame.

"One of these days you must explain to her exactly why you left," Nye said. "If you wait until the bitter end, Po will never forgive you. Even if she chooses to remain with you after the fact, she will live the rest of her life knowing she is nothing more than a replacement."

"What would you have me do?" Mi'en asked.

Nye looked firmly into Mi'en's eyes. "Do what Po has been asking of you for years now."

Mi'en blushed furiously. "I cannot do that! That is ridiculous! Po is living in a dream world! No one would accept us!"

"Then tell her," Nye said. "If you tell her now, she will wait for you. Then you two will be free to face that obstacle when it comes once this has taken its course. At least consider my suggestion."

Nye rose to and left Mi'en to think about it, but before she left she added one more thing:

"Of course, that all depends on you and whom you choose to truly love."

* * *

"Hey, Ma'ri, can I ask you something?" Street asked.

"Ask away," Ma'ri said.

"Why do the Espelons call you Su'ki?" Street asked.

Ma'ri let out an embarrassed laugh. "I should've known this was coming."

"Yeah, Ma'ri," Tay'jay said, just dying for a chance to get back at Ma'ri. "Tell her why we all call you Su'ki."

"All right, Su'ki is not a real name. It's a…what do you call those things?" Ma'ri said, snapping her fingers anxiously. "There's a word for it. I can't remember what it is."

"Nickname, maybe?" Street suggested.

"No, a nickname is like Nu'na. This is different," Ma'ri said. "There's another word for it."

"Oh, so Nu'na's not her real name?" Street asked.

"Nu'na's real name is Anuna," Tay'jay said. "We just call her 'Nu'na' for short."

" 'Anuna' " Street repeated. "That doesn't sound very Taelon."

"Nu'na was never a Taelon," Du'ma said.

"She's a pure Espelon, part of the latest Espelon generation. She's only eighteen," Tay'jay said.

"Which explains why she has absolutely no sympathy for anybody," Ma'ri said.

"I wish you'd all give Nu'na a break," Tay'jay said. "She's brutally honest, but she's a hard worker and she comes from a hard background. Anyways, Taelon names don't always have to be two syllables."

"Real Taelon names are never only two syllables," Du'ma said. "As you know, only our public names follow that rule for the most part."

"You're saying that Taelons have more than one name?" Street asked.

"We have a public name—the names you are probably used to hearing—and then we have family names that are only spoken amongst close family members, usually parents, children and siblings," Du'ma said.

"For instance, Tay'jay's family name is _Tayajaya_," Mi'lu said in a taunting tone.

Tay'jay lowered his head and blushed.

"Don't be offended by it," Mi'lu laughed.

"Oh man," Tay'jay groaned hiding his face.

Street was flabbergasted. Seeing Tay'jay get embarrassed once was already amazing, but to see it happen twice in one day was astounding. She had never seen Tay'jay in this manner. Apparently, the Espelon women had long ago found a sweet, creamy center beneath that spicy and tough surface that was his arrogance.

"Yes, my real name is _Tayajaya_," Tay'jay said still blushing. "It comes from an animal that used to exist on Taelon. It looks kinda like a monkey."

The group laughed at Tay'jay, who was still hiding his face from behind his arm.

"Your name means 'monkey'?" Street asked.

"Except this monkey had scales instead of fur with a face that looks a lot like a tarsier's," Du'ma added.

"It's actually a pretty good name," Tay'jay said. "It's associated with elasticity and adaptability. It's a good name for a Pa'dar warrior, but it probably had something to do with the fact that when I was born my mother said I tried to climb out of the _lu'yoi's_ arms."

"I think it's cute," Street said. "So what's Da'an's family name?"

"_Dayan'ii_," Tay'jay said. "It means 'peace'. Luckily, Ja'lan was given the responsibility for naming the twins before she died. Had it been up to Bel'lie who knows what the hell he would've named her?"

"So what about Nu'na?" Street asked. "What's her real name?"

"I have no idea," Tay'jay said. "I assume it comes from the word _A'numura_, which was the name of an old Taelon avatar."

"It could come from _Anu'bana_," Mi'lu suggested. "That's the name of one of the stars in a binary system in Maru'vha."

"Yes, but _Anu'bana_ comes from _A'numura_," Du'ma pointed out. "It does not really matter, I suppose."

"Oh! What's Ma'el's real name?" Street asked.

"_Meralin_," Tay'jay said. "It means 'the silent scholar.' "

"Why did Ma'el's mom call him that?" Street asked.

"Because allegedly when Ma'el was in her womb, he never said anything. He didn't like talking to her," Tay'jay said. "The weird thing is that when he and Da'an were born, it kind of switched. Da'an stopped talking and Ma'el jabbered on like a chipmunk. I always think she got the two confused."

"You think Da'an was supposed to be named Ma'el and Ma'el was supposed to be named Da'an?" Street asked.

"Spooky, isn't it?" Tay'jay said in low voice.

"He's lying to you," Mi'lu said, poking Tay'jay in his side. "He used to do that to me all the time. Da'an and Ma'el are fraternal twins. Ja'lan wouldn't have gotten the two mixed up. Ma'el was named after an ancient _Amo'qui_ scholar of the same name."

"What's an Amo'qui scholar?" Street asked.

"An _Amo'qui_ is not a scholar. It is a surname," Du'ma said. "It means 'of the nobles'. It is Da'an and Tay'jay's family surname."

"Cool," Street said.

"Pet name!" Ma'ri burst.

The group's confused faces turned on Ma'ri.

"Su'ki? Remember? It's a pet name," Ma'ri said. "It's like those names you call your sweetheart, like 'honey' or 'sugar pie' or 'snooky-wookums.' "

Tay'jay, Street and Mi'lu burst out laughing. Du'ma, however, did not understand.

"It doesn't really have a translation," Ma'ri said. "It's just one of those words you say when you see something cute. But I guess if you're looking for a literal translation, the closest I could come to it is 'cutie pie.' "

"Aw, your husband calls you cutie pie, does he?" Street said in a puppy-like voice.

"Quit it," Ma'ri said with a deep purple blush.

Tay'jay and Mi'lu taunted Ma'ri.

"Real mature, you two," Ma'ri said, rolling her eyes.

"I guess I can't complain," Street said. "My real name's Juliet. You know like 'Romeo and Juliet'? It's just so weird how similar our species actually are when you get down to it. It's like the little things make us more alike than the big things."

Augur found Street exactly where he has left her. He was getting especially tired of playing messenger boy and was looking forward to dragging his protégé out of the barracks.

"All right, young lady, you've been down here dishing out dirt long enough," Augur said, pulling away Street's deck of cards. "You and I need to head back to St. Michael's now. It's an emergency."

"All right, fine," Street said defensively. "DMY."

"I know what that means, young lady!" Augur said sternly. "Get moving."

"Geez, who died and turned him into Bill Cosby?" Tay'jay whispered.

"Leave him alone," Ma'ri said. "He's probably just worried about her. They are best friends after all."

While Augur and Street were arguing their way out of the barracks, Nu'na suddenly burst past them and yanked Tay'jay and the rest of the group away from their card game.

"You all have got to see this!" Nu'na said deliciously. "Get up. Put down the cards. You have to see this!"

By the time Nu'na had finished pulling the hesitant group away, Ja'da had already rushed all the way to the other side of the barracks and had turned on the giant plasma screen, the only window the Espelons truly had to the Earth outside the restricted one to which they had adapted.

"What? You and your posse went running around the ANA building after you left?" Ma'ri asked.

"Something like that," Nu'na said in a voice that was a subtle mix between gleeful, haughty and tempting. She added an excited giggle as she pushed Ma'ri and the others closer to the screen.

"It's coming on in just a few seconds," Ja'da told the gathering crowd of aliens.

"Maybe now's not the best time to drag me away," Street said to Augur.

"What the heck do they know that we don't?" Augur said, immediately taking Street's hand and running with her to the screen.

As everyone made their way to the front, the commercial Nu'na and the others had been anxiously waiting for flashed on the screen.

"You've seen the headlines," Abby Franklin's voice said against the background of menacing, dramatic music. Headlines of Renee Palmer's scandal were fading in and out of the screen as Abby spoke. "You've seen the videos." New shots of the suspicious videos replaced the pictures of the headlines. "Now, 'The Abby Franklin Show' takes you inside the world of Renee Palmer as you've never seen it before. Raunchiness, recklessness, and even…a little bit of racism. We will take you in depth and up close as you hear the real story from both sides of the spectrum. Real employees—current and former—of Doors International go head-to-head with representatives of Renee Palmer from the Atlantic National Alliance. It's an episode so outrageous and so unbelievable we had to show it to you now. Tune in tomorrow afternoon for a special uncut and uncensored episode of 'The Abby Franklin Show.' "

"Get the hell outta here!" Tay'jay exclaimed as the ad faded away and Nu'na turned off the television.

"Oh my God!" Street cried. "It's happening way too fast! It's like a tsunami that just won't stop coming!"

"Looks like Liam Kincaid's plan backfired," Nu'na giggled. She and several other Espelons burst out laughing.

Augur's global bleeped. He was not surprised when Link's face appeared on the screen.

"Your little holo-friends just showed me a very unsettling ad on channel twelve," Link said in an alarmed voice.

"I know," Augur said. "We saw it too."

"Is that Link?" Street asked, scooting closer against Augur for a better view.

"Get your asses down here now," Link said firmly. "We've got to get to Renee Palmer's place and tell her what's goin' on before the press entourage tells her for us."

"Don't wait for us. Just go," Augur said. "Street and I have to get to Linus and work on convincing him to put a rush on his next payment."

"I don't know what Renee did in another life, but I'm pretty sure now that it involved a journalist," Ma'ri said, shaking her head.

"I'm going up to the communications room to find out what the hell those idiots are doing up there," Tay'jay said, blazing his way out of the crowd as he talked.

"I'm going with you," Ma'ri said, following him through the path he had cleared.

Nu'na and Ja'da slapped their hands together in several celebratory gestures as the huddled group of Espelons and Taelons exchanged astounded and amused conversations. Mi'lu and several other aliens rushed outside the barracks to contact their human friends of the situation.

"You don't think Abby pulled a fast one on Liam, do you?" Street asked Augur as they raced out of the barracks.

"I sure hope not," Augur said.

However, the whole time Augur was thinking to himself, _Liam, what have you done?_


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5: On the Issue of Race

It had taken Link about an hour to get to Renee at her summer home in Galveston. He had already phoned ahead when he found out she had left DC. Her advisors had encouraged her to flee there from the press until they could figure out a way to make a counterstatement. From what she had told him over the phone, Renee was given no warning that Hubble was going to pull a stunt like this. The bodyguards only let Link inside when Renee saw his face on the camera monitors. It was a strange contrast to see a group of secret service-like men in black suits patrolling around a simple three-story house on the beach.

"I am not believing this!" Renee exclaimed. She was in a pair of cotton white pants and a red blouse lying wearily under a large white fan. "How could he be so stupid? And why the hell wouldn't he tell me?"

"Maybe he didn't want to worry you," Link suggested. "Maybe he didn't have time to contact you. Maybe he's still pissed. There are a number of possibilities."

"You're a real comfort, you know that?" Renee said cynically.

Link set down the drink Renee had offered him. "If it's all the same to you, I know you're not lying about Frit. Augur and I found the footage from the hotel cameras."

"Maybe that's the reason why he went on the talk show," Renee suggested. "Maybe his people found the same original footage and were trying to publicize it."

"I doubt it," Link said. "Liam had been trying to contact Franklin and get you on that show for a while now and she turned him down. I think somebody else talked to her, somebody with a shit-load of money at his disposal. It wouldn't surprise me if Hubble was challenged to appear on the show or even blackmailed."

"But why would Abby do something like this?" Renee asked, "and what is so important about that episode that she's showing it now?"

"That's not important," Link said. "Hubble, Liam and all of these guys are running around like jack-rabbits trying to stop this madness, thinking one incident has nothing to do with the other. I don't think that's true. Augur and I found the paparazzo that videotaped you with Frit. We traced his money trail to the Church of the Companions PAC. The Church of the Companions doesn't even have a PAC. They never had one. We've got a streamline of men who claimed to have had relations with you appearing on the same slew of talk shows. There's a source to all this, and I'm betting it leads back to the priests."

"And because we're getting attacked from all sides, there's no way to tell where it's all coming from," Renee agreed.

"Somebody is paying the press, the interest groups, and these roaches that are crawling out of the woodwork a lot of money to slander the ANA's reputation," Link said. "I think you're just the beginning in all of this. Even if Hubble's cleared your good name on that show, another scandal's gonna come out, and another, and another, until all supporters of the ANA in the United States have turned their backs on you and the Taelon supporters in Congress are re-elected by a landslide. It's actually a really good plan. The only possible weakness it could have is the money trail."

"So if we can plug the money source, we close the floodgates," Renee said. "But we need to do more than that. We need to connect the money trail to the Taelons so that we can regenerate sympathy in the press for the ANA."

"I'm not sure that's even possible anymore," Link said, "but Augur and I will see what we can do anyway. We promised we'd help you, and we mean to keep that promise. But if this is going to work, we need you to do something for us."

"I'll do whatever you want."

"In Abby's trailer, she's saying that old employees from Doors International are coming on the show to duke it out with Hubble and the ANA," Link said. "If there's anyone who's worked closely with Jonathan Doors, it's you. That gives you an advantage. You know exactly what these weirdos are gonna say long before they say it."

"What should I do?" Renee asked. "Release a counterstatement?"

"No," Link said. "These people are getting sympathy right now because they're playing the victims. You gotta do the same thing, Renee. You've got to play devil's advocate with these guys. If they start attacking Doors International, you need to attack it with them."

"I can't do that," Renee protested. "If I start agreeing with these crazies, I'll never get my job back."

"If you keep hiding out here," Link warned, "that'll be your situation anyway. You've got an advantage over these people because you know much more than they do. You know what parts of their stories are true and false. Just get out there and tell the public the truth about Doors International. Steer the current away from you for a while. If we fail, you've got to save yourself from becoming collateral damage. You're an invaluable source of income for the Atlantic National Alliance and especially the Resistance. If you go down, our cause doesn't have a prayer. If you have any reserves, just think of it this way: Do you really wanna go back to work for a company that's already stabbed you in the back?"

"That's true," Renee considered. "But Doors International is the devil I know. Ma'ri and Tay'jay are right. All those big business corporations are like that. They have to be."

"Then, you know why this is gonna get a lot worse before it gets better," Link said. "To survive, you need to play ugly, Renee."

"Wouldn't be the first time I dashed people's hopes and reputations just to preserve mine," Renee said, thinking about the time she spent with Jonathan Doors. "After all, I studied from the master."

* * *

When Da'an and Ariel arrived at the kitchen, the cooks escorted them to the same private lounge where Nye had taken Da'an earlier. Apparently, they had prepared a miniature feast for Da'an's hungry daughter. Several minutes after they arrived, the cooks returned with bowls and bowls of food and drink, many of which Da'an was sure Ariel would never be able to finish. Just when Da'an was sure they would stop brining food, the cooks would bring several more bowls. Even when Da'an finally told them to stop, they kept coming until the entire table was covered with a vast feast for Ariel. Ariel dove into the bowls with glee, exploring the hundreds of different flavors from fruits and animals she had never seen. Da'an watched her gobble it all down like a tiny ravenous wolf. She had not expected Ariel to work up such an appetite. It was stunning to watch.

"This is really, really good!" Ariel exclaimed, with a mouthful of food making itself apparent with each word she spoke.

"Swallow before you talk, Ariel," Da'an reminded her. "You do not want to choke."

Ariel followed Da'an's instructions, and then Da'an wiped her mouth.

"I'm really glad you took me here," Ariel said. "I like this place. Everyone's really nice."

"I am happy to be here with you," Da'an said.

"Hmph," Nye's voice said from the doorway. "I see my cooks have prepared quite the feast for us."

"I was wondering how they expected Ariel to eat all this by herself," Da'an said, using her powers to pull up a chair for Nye.

"It appears that Ariel is doing quite well for herself," Nye said, watching Ariel gulp down a large cup of a green substance that Ariel swore tasted just like apple juice.

"One of these days, you must tell me how you manage to appear just in time in the exact right place," Da'an said to Nye as she sat.

"I believe you were asking me about Ma'el and the gateway," Nye said quickly.

"Then, you have decided to answer my question?" Da'an inquired.

"As many as I am able to," Nye replied. "As for the reason why I did not answer your question sooner, it is because you already know why Ma'el built a machine."

The haunting images of Ma'el's last days on Earth came to Da'an's mind. Nye had been correct. Da'an knew exactly why Ma'el had really created the gateway. It was an anomaly that Da'an would never believe should she utter it aloud, which was why she kept it within. Whatever it was, it had brought Ma'el some small comfort from the overwhelming loneliness he had always felt, the loneliness from which no human could possibly have saved him. The memory of her experience sickened her. "I do not wish to speak about this anymore."

"Very well," Nye said. "Of what will you ask of me now?"

"Mommy, can I get more juice?" Ariel interrupted, holding up the empty cup.

One of the followers standing outside had heard Ariel's request and was already on her way to get some more. Before she left, she yelled that she would take care of it.

"While you are waiting, just eat some fruit," Da'an suggested. "You can take the juices from there."

"Okay," Ariel said, having already chosen which fruits to dive into.

"Tell me more about the priests," Da'an said to Nye. "Tell me everything. I want to know about their pasts, and I want to know more about the high priest in particular."

"I can tell you much about the priests. However, you know as much about the high priest as I do," Nye said. "His past is a mystery to me."

"What about the others?" Da'an asked. "What about Ka'fil, Ar'if, and Taran'ji?"

"I see," Nye said. "You want particular information about the _Amo'qui_ priests."

"They seem different from the others," Da'an said, "especially Ka'fil. I sense that the high priest is more lenient towards them for some reason. He must favor them over the others."

"The high priest favors the _Amo'qui_ priests because he is convinced that we are the most direct descendants of his family line," Nye explained. "In his mind, your existence confirms his thinking."

"What is the high priest's name?" Da'an asked. "Tell me his name."

"You do not know it?" Nye asked.

"Just tell me," Da'an said, trying to hide her frustration from Ariel, who was listening attentively to their conversation trying to understand it.

Nye waited when she saw the follower return with a full drink for Ariel. Then, she stared firmly into Da'an's eyes. "The high priest's name is Ki'ango. He is the oldest Taelon to ever exist. He has harnessed the power of the Commonality to become immortal and oversee the evolution of the Taelon species under his directive. In many ways, he is a god."

"What is his motivation? Why does he control our evolution?" Da'an asked. "What does he hope to gain?"

"In his mind, perfection," Nye said. "He believes that life is a brutal struggle driven by pure logic. Emotions are nothing more than an evolutionary liability to distinguish the weak from the strong. The perfect species is one that has shed its need for emotions to survive. It reproduces asexually, eliminating the need for a mate. It lives long and is immune to most diseases, destroying the individual barriers that hold back civilization. The creatures work in harmony with no fear of contest or conflict. It is organized and efficient."

"It is a machine," Da'an snapped, "a hive mind without a heart."

"Would you prefer the conditions of the Jaridians then?" Nye asked. "Would you prefer to live in a society driven by pure desire, where the leaders are chosen solely by who wants the most and who has the greatest means to get it? A species driven to destroy for nothing more than a grudge? A species that will burn and pillage hundreds of innocents in its wake for the satisfaction of a moment? Ki'ango saw the ill hearts of the Taelon tribal leaders. He saw that all they cared for was survival and instead of working together for that goal, he saw them kill each other. He saw them alienate him and his great talents just because he was different. It took a common enemy and a long and brutal war just to unite the tribes. The enemy the high priest is currently trying to defeat is more than just the Jaridians."

"It is the same enemy we all battle every day," Da'an said.

"Do not harbor too much hatred for Ki'ango," Nye said. "Whether or not his goals were achieved morally, he has done many great things for the Taelons. Even he is not without a heart, as dark as it may seem. He is proud of you and all you have done. He considers you the crown jewel of centuries of precious breeding. He loves and hates you. That is why he struggles with himself on whether or not he should kill you. He fears he will never create one as extraordinary as you. Even now, he continues to hope you will return to him."

"I believe that Ka'fil feels the same way," Da'an said.

"Many of us do," Nye said. "You are capable of amazing things and terrible nightmares."

"You said that to me once before," Da'an said. "What about Taran'ji and Ar'if?"

"Taran'ji is _Amo'qui_," Nye said, "the oldest _Amo'qui_ in the priesthood. I have no idea what his relation is to me. When I first knew him, he struck me as the most serene in the priesthood. However, he was distant when I tried to talk to him about his past. He hardly ever spoke to you either."

"You are right," Da'an said. "I can barely recall his face."

"Ar'if is _Amo'qui_ as well, but he is a distant _Amo'qui_," Nye said. "In Ki'ango's eyes, his bloodline has been tampered with. Ar'if is about your age."

"I do not remember ever seeing him before or after I joined the priesthood," Da'an said.

"It does not surprise me," Nye said. "Technically, he does not belong to the _Amo'qui_. His secondary parent is the _Amo'qui_. His family name is _Yu'mari_. You were returned to the Synod before he joined. What little you saw of him was probably brief."

"Then he comes from a middle class family," Da'an said.

"As far as I can tell, he is my replacement. His telepathic skills are powerful, but his power of foresight is not nearly as powerful as yours. Unlike Taran'ji, Ar'if serves Ki'ango loyally. His weakness is his power of foresight. He is too afraid to delve any deeper into that power than he already has. It can be exploited."

"I see," Da'an said. "What about the others?"

"Hu'ba, Ja'bari and Ura'fiki are not _Amo'qui_. They are old enough to be our ancestors, and I believe that is precisely what they are," Nye said. "I cannot tell you much about them. Ki'ango kept them separate from us and when we did speak with them, they did not say much."

"Ki'ango only takes priests who are descended from his genetic line," Da'an said to herself.

"Yes. He believes we are the purest of the Taelons. We deserve to rule the species," Nye explained. "I have witnessed a trend in Taelon history. Each time the Synod has been run by his descendants, the Taelons have experienced a golden age. Whether or not this is his doing is unknown to me."

"Then, the _Amo'qui_ are the most recent development in his breeding program," Da'an said. "Hu'ba, Ja'bari and Ura'fiki come from a time when their family experienced the same prominence the _Amo'qui_ did."

"Exactly," Nye said. "They are the oldest priests, but the current priesthood consists mostly of _Amo'qui_."

"How is it that they have survived for so long?" Da'an asked. "The priests are capable of dying of old age just as all Taelons are. Why have they not died when others have?"

"They will die eventually," Nye said. "We live exceedingly longer than all Taelons, but we are not immortal. However, I believe the primary reason they have not died is because Ki'ango keeps them alive."

"He would only keep them alive if they were the most loyal to him."

"And they are," Nye said. "Be very cautious around those three, Da'an. They all have their own reasons for remaining loyal to Ki'ango, but they are loyal nonetheless. Be especially cautious of Ja'bari. Out of all the priests I have worked with, Ja'bari is the one I can say I fear."

"I will remember that," Da'an said.

"See that you do," Nye said firmly.

* * *

The following afternoon all the eyes of America were tuned into Abby Franklin's special episode. The entire campaign team watched in absolute horror as Hubble Urick stepped on to the soundstage and sat in a plush white chair in front of the live studio audience. Liam was so much on edge that he could not sit. Instead he paced the room praying that Hubble would not let the others make a complete jackass out of him and the ANA.

Tay'jay, Nu'na and Ma'ri were sitting calmly with the campaign crew. Nu'na had even come with refreshments.

"Good afternoon Mr. Urick," Abby said shaking his hand before she sat in the chair next to him. "Thank you for taking time today out of your busy schedule to come and talk with us today. Now, as you know there's been a lot of controversy surrounding this video footage of Renee Palmer and this mysterious man she's with. I understand you have some of your own footage to show us today."

"Yes, we do," Hubble said. "I would just like to say that as Renee Palmer's colleague and as her friend, I have known her to be an extremely dignified and well-spoken individual. I was completely outraged when I saw the lies the opposing campaign was trying to portray, and it saddens me to have to even dignify these individuals with a response. However, I feel it is in my and the rest of the Atlantic National Alliance's best interest to set the record straight so that we may move on to more important issues being addressed in these elections."

There was light applause from the audience to acknowledge his words.

"As Mr. Urick says, he has some footage to show us today," Abby said. "Let's take a look at the screen."

Several members of the campaign team and the Human Liberation gathered around the three Espelons to get a closer look at the screen. Immediately, humans were drinking from the beers and sodas Nu'na had brought and eating chips and dip and pretzels. The crucial shot was when they zoomed in to reveal that Renee and Frit had not locked lips. There was a series of murmurs coming from the studio audience as the camera switched back to Abby's face.

"It's clear that Renee was not kissing him," Abby said. "So then, Mr. Urick, why was Renee acting this way after a charity dinner?"

"My friends and I have identified the man in the picture as a co-worker at Doors International," Hubble said. "Apparently, she and this co-worker are old friends and had caught up with each other at the party. The footage you are seeing here is nothing more than an inside joke that was taken completely out of context."

"A joke towards whom?" Abby asked.

Hubble shook his head in what appeared to be shame. "I'm afraid it was a joke towards myself. I made the crucial mistake of advancing on Renee Palmer at the party, and when she tried to turn me down, I acted rude towards her."

The humans in the communications room uttered all kinds of groans of surprise and outrage at Hubble's remarks.

"At least he's being a man and admitting to his lecherous nature," Nu'na said.

"I can't believe he's taking a dive for Renee," Liam said.

"Maybe Da'an was wrong about him," Ma'ri whispered to Tay'jay. "Maybe he really is a decent guy."

"Then, why would he wait until now to do anything about this?" Tay'jay asked. "If he really cared about Renee and the resistance, he would've done this sooner and he'd be stepping down as leader of the ANA or something. Look at the way he's staring at Abby when he answers her questions. Listen to the tone of his voice. Somebody put him up to this, and the only reason he's doing this is because there's nothing else he can do and his ass is already on the line."

"I swear, you can't buy that kind of public sympathy," Ma'ri said. "He's doing a real good job."

"Something's not right," Tay'jay whispered.

By now, several more Espelons and Taelons had joined the gathering crowd. They had seen the commercial for this episode and were dying to see what all this commotion was about.

"I am sure that Renee Palmer and the rest of the people at the Atlantic National Alliance and Doors International are very glad that you cleared this misunderstanding up," Abby said. "Our next guest is Jenna Locke—"

"Get outta here!" Darius cried. "Jenna Locke?"

"You've heard of this woman?" Liam asked.

Jenna Locke was an extremely tall African-American woman with long dark hair that several other black females in the communications room were certain was a weave. She came out wearing a heavy red blazer and long silk slacks of the same color. As she took her seat in a chair across from Hubble, the entire crew could sense a foreboding aura surrounding the woman.

"I'm surprised you guys haven't," Darius said. "Jenna Locke's the lawyer who won that big class action case against that oil company a few years back. Twelve employees, current and former, came forward saying they weren't getting paid as much as the white male employees. Two of the employees were black women and claimed that they'd even been sexually harassed by the CEO."

"What the hell is she doing here?" Liam asked.

"Let's watch," Tay'jay said.

"This embarrassing incident is the latest in many incidents former employees have reported regarding Doors International," Locke said. "The ill fate that befell Renee Palmer is what I have been hearing for years now."

"Thank you for re-stating the obvious," Nu'na said to the television. "Now, get to the point!"

"I'd like to call out some clients of mine who will be participating in new class action lawsuit I have been working on for years now," Locke said, nudging her head stage left.

Six people wearing business casual clothing came and took seats in several chairs on both sides of Jenna Locke's seat. One was a light-skinned Hispanic woman in a purple business suit with her hair in a ponytail. The next two were tall black men, one with a lighter skin complexion than the other, wearing dark blue suits and ties. Another was a Hispanic male wearing a cerulean business suit and a red tie. The last two were both black women. One had her hair in African braids and was wearing a white business suit. The other had caramel-colored skin. She had her hair in a bun and was wearing a white silk sleeveless top with a black skirt that went down to her knees.

Tay'jay caught Darius administering a hard stare at the caramel-colored black woman.

"Friend of yours?" Tay'jay asked him.

"Yeah, actually," Darius said in a ponderous tone. Suddenly he snapped his fingers. "I know where I seen her! She's resistance!"

"What?" Liam exclaimed.

"Yeah!" Darius said. "I saw her from the cell in LA a couple of years back. That's where I remember her from! I tried to ask her on a date."

"Wait a second!" Abhaya cried. "I know that man on the left." She was pointing at the Hispanic man. "That's Santiago! He's the man I replaced when I joined the resistance."

Suddenly, several humans were pointing to the six people announcing where they had seen them and when. After the chatter settled down, it was clear that everyone knew these people as former members of the Human Liberation Movement.

"What the hell is going on here?" Liam asked.

"Excuse me," Hubble said. "I do not believe we are here to discuss Doors International."

"You're absolutely right, Mr. Urick," Jenna said. "We're not here to discuss Doors International. We are here to discuss Jonathan Doors and his affiliations with the so-called Human Liberation Movement and _then_ Doors International."

"Excuse me?" Hubble Urick cried. "That is preposterous!"

"Mr. Urick we hate to bring this to your attention, but all of these people are former employees of Doors International," Abby said.

"I don't see what that has to do with why I am here," Hubble protested.

"I don't like where this is going," Liam said.

"I do!" Nu'na cried.

"You knew Jonathan Doors personally," Abby continued. "You even participated in his campaign for president."

"That is true," Hubble said.

"You are the leader of the Atlantic National Alliance as well," Abby said, "an organization inspired by the efforts of Doors' Human Liberation Movement, and you are addressing key issues going on in this year's congressional elections, issues that Doors himself brought to light."

"Were you aware of the stormy history behind Jonathan Doors?" Jenna asked.

"I was probably more aware than most," Hubble said.

"He's panicking," Ma'ri said in awe. "He's in so much panic now that he doesn't even realize he's falling right into Abby's trap. They sandbagged him."

"Jonathan Doors," Abby went on, now addressing the audience—live and at home, "a true philanthropic advocate for mankind, or so he says. He was the first person to advocate against the Taelons, citing that they were using his company to commit heinous crimes against humanity. He faked his own death just to bring the issue of the Taelons' treatment toward humanity to light. He is the self-confessed founder of the Human Liberation Movement. He campaigned and nearly became president only to turn heads again when he re-initiated an alliance with Zo'or and his Taelon Synod. It is safe to say that Jonathan Doors' actions have been somewhat contradictory in nature."

"Well, duh. He was a tycoon and a politician," Liam said.

"Thank you," Tay'jay said.

"Hmph!" one of the black men by Jenna cried. "You may call him a philanthropist and the savior of mankind and whatever else they called him at his funeral, but in my mind, I have and will always call him racist!"

The gasps of the studio audience echoed the gasps of everyone in the communications room.

"Jonathan Doors!" the woman in the African braids snorted. "I worked aside that man in Doors International as his executive assistant for three years. That pompous bigot-assed bastard!"

"Oh…snap!" Tay'jay yelled, jumping clear out of his seat in shock.

"You have got to be shitting me!" Ma'ri cried.

"This has got to be a joke," Liam said, growing severely pale.

"When Anne Portnoy lost her position as CEO, I was one of the candidates slighted to take her place," Santiago said.

"Is he serious?" Ma'ri asked Abhaya.

"Yes, he is," Abhaya said. "It was why he left the resistance."

"I was a model employee, had successfully managed several projects for Jonathan Doors long before the Taelons even arrived, and had been an avid supporter of his for twenty-two years," Santiago said. "Instead I was passed up for Richard Schumer, a white man. A year later, the State of Emergency occurred, and Richard left as several employees did during the controversy surrounding Thompson's attempted assassination and Doors' involvement. I stayed by his side, and again I was up for a promotion to CEO. Instead I was passed up by Renee Palmer, a white woman."

"Oooooo!" a female member of the studio audience cried.

"You're telling me the reason why Santiago left was because Doors wouldn't promote him?" Ma'ri asked Abhaya.

"He felt that he had gone through much worse than Renee Palmer did," Abhaya said. "Renee has been resistance just as long as he has, but Renee was never arrested during the crackdown. He was. After he found out that Lili had tried to blow up the Mothership, that was the last straw. He left as soon as his name was cleared. A lot of members did…and come to think of it, a lot of them were minorities."

"All the key players in Doors' presidential campaign were rich white males," one of the black men said. A label revealed his name to be Keith Stone. "All his CEOs are white. All of his executive officers are white, and the white females that do get promoted never last long. It's like he places all the blame when something bad happens to the company on them."

"There's even evidence of his racist attitude in resistance propaganda," the caramel-colored woman said. The text below said her name was Shay Leveaux. "Look at these resistance posters."

Abby's screen flashed between several different posters. Some were drawings of hands crushing the Taelon's adopted logo of the human-Taelon friendship. Shay noted how all of the hands were white. She flashed to footage news cameras had caught of resistance members fighting against Taelon ships. All the members, as Shay noted, were white.

"It wouldn't surprise me if a white man were leading the resistance right now," Shay said. "It comes as no surprise to me that Hubble Urick is the leader of the Atlantic National Alliance."

"I resent the accusation," Hubble said, trying to remain calm. "The Atlantic National Alliance is in no way affiliated with the Human Liberation Movement, and even if it were, we certainly would not condone nor reflect the behavior of which you are accusing Jonathan Doors."

"What did I tell you?" Tay'jay asked Ma'ri. "He's dumping all this on the resistance now to save his own ass."

"But Doors International is a key donator to the Atlantic National Alliance's cause," Jenna said. "Doesn't it offend you that you are being funded by a racist organization?"

"I can't speak for Jonathan Doors nor his company, but I can assure you that the Atlantic National Alliance will examine Doors International thoroughly," Hubble said, "now that you have brought these accusations to my attention. However, the Atlantic National Alliance, particularly the American branch, is also funded by the American government."

"Look at these numbers from the State of Emergency!" the other black man yelled. The text said his name was Ahmir Jamaeel. "Four thousand non-whites were captured and brought to companion facilities all over the world including the Taelon Mothership for questioning, while only seven hundred whites were captured. How come so many minorities were captured? He gives priority to get the white folks into hiding while we have to suffer for his sins?"

"The names of cell leaders as said by the lists of potential resistance members that Zo'or was issued claimed ninety-nine percent of resistance cell leaders to be white," Jenna said.

"And then Lili Marquette, a white woman, tries to blow up the whole damn Mothership full of minorities," Ahmir said. "What was she doing? Destroying evidence for Jonathan Doors? Or was it something more, like ethnic cleansing?"

"Hey, guys," Abhaya mentioned, "remember that thing that happened with that Indian man and his wife Rayna? It happened before I joined."

"Oh yeah, when the Jaridian probe took over Rayna's body," an older male resistance member recalled. "I remember that. That was Sahjit and his fiancée. Doors had those poor people inside that little midget plastic room with that big-ass Jaridian probe and little to no security. And they all wondered why they ended up getting killed because of it. I didn't see Doors rushing to save any of them. Oh, but when Lili got attacked, you know he just couldn't afford to lose her and went running in with guns blazing to get her out."

"Oh my gosh!" a Taelon cried. "I just remembered! Something happened with that same man on the Mothership, and Da'an had to save him. I don't remember Doors risking his life and reputation to save him. Even Boone couldn't do anything. No! It had to be Da'an!"

"And then there was that thing that happened with Major MacIntyre," a female black member of the resistance cried. "Doors got all those guys outta that damn building except the one black man, Lucas Johnson. Why the black man had to suffer? How come a brother can't get no trial, but one of them white guys gets shot and everybody wants to hang a Taelon? And then Mr. I-Wanna-Hang-Taelons-for-Killin'-A-Cracker had his own damn son prosecuting the case. Don't nobody talk about how Lucas got screwed in all of this."

"You know…I have noticed the number of minority members has declined in the recent years," a white women said.

"Yeah, and it was gettin' whiter and whiter in the lair before the Taelons and Espelons joined," Darius said suspiciously.

"Yeah, Liam," Nu'na said, glaring at the now pale companion protector. "Explain to all of us why you hang around mostly white people. Julia, Renee, Lili—don't see you with too many black, Hispanic or Asian friends."

"Excuse me?" Liam breathed.

"You know, this may be just a rumor, but I heard that the only reason why Liam's the leader of the resistance is because he was the only white candidate for leadership," Nu'na said.

"Racism would explain why you have such a huge prejudice against the Taelons," a Taelon said. "I heard that Liam Kincaid sided with Lili Marquette and her husband Vorjak back on Jaridia when we had to clean up their little civil war for them even though he knew Da'an suspected them of using us. And I'm starting to suspect the reason why is because she was white."

"Oh, we've already been through how Liam forced Da'an to sacrifice herself to save Lili and her kid," Nu'na added. "How he didn't jump in to try and rescue her once. All he cared about was getting to Lili."

"Nu'na, what the hell are you doing?" Tay'jay whispered.

"You also didn't try to help Augur when you found out he was in trouble with the law," Ma'ri said. "J. Street had to help him. What happened between then and the time you rescued Augur from Zo'or's human engineering program? Was it because Augur wasn't being abducted by the Taelons this time? Was it because that time you didn't have a point to prove against the Taelons?"

"I really don't like where this is going," Tay'jay said to himself.

"And when you found out someone had betrayed you guys and given Max Pratt your resistance codes, you immediately suspected Augur," Nu'na said. "Why poor Augur, Liam? Why not Renee? She's just as skilled at the computer as Augur is and even had easier access to the codes because she was a cell leader."

"Yeah, and you even put Augur's life on the line to save Jonathan Doors during the State of Emergency," Ma'ri said suspiciously. "Why'd you try to save him after you openly confessed you didn't like him? Why didn't you stay where you should've and worked at getting as many people into hiding as you could?"

"You even sold Da'an out to the Synod to save Doors, a white man," Nu'na said. "Poor Da'an was just sitting in that cell on the Mothership with all those captured resistance members, and you let Lili try to blow up the ship with her inside."

"I didn't know Da'an was on that ship!" Liam shouted. "I had no way of knowing what Lili was going to do before it was too late!"

"Sure you didn't," Nu'na said cynically. "Just like you had no idea that Lili was gonna have Sandoval capture Da'an and try to make her sacrifice herself to save their child. Just like you had no idea that Julianus was gonna use Ma'el's ship to ram the Mothership. How'd you figure out how to get yourself and Renee out of there so soon? I find it very interesting what you say you know and don't know. When all your white friends are in trouble, you seem to pop in at just in time to save them. With people like Augur and Da'an, 'oh, I'm sorry you guys. I had no idea what was happening when I left you hanging there to dry'! Oh, did he tell you about what Renee did to those poor Resistance members when they were experimenting on Ma'el's ship? She got them both killed. One died instantly and one died later in a slow, painful, agonizing death!"

"Shut up!" Liam cried.

"Oh, I get it!" Nu'na shot back. "When your white friends get someone killed, you console them. You pamper them. You paper them with sweet thoughts about how they're good and righteous people. But when the minorities get people killed, you threaten their lives! You tell them they're scum! You leave them for dead, you two-faced white-loving son of a bitch!"

"Damn!" a black woman screamed.

"Hold on a minute, Nu'na," Ta'li said. "Now, Major Kincaid may not be as prejudiced as you think. After all, he likes Jaridians, and Jaridians are not considered white."

"No, they're not," Nu'na pondered. "Oh, but wait. They _look_ kind of white. Am I right, my minority counterparts?"

"Yeah, Liam," Darius said. "Why you like the Jaridians so much anyway, huh? They remind you of the white man because they're all white?"

"That's bullshit!" Liam cried. "The Taelons are all white."

"Only the ones who first came to America, and the only for that is because the first skin pigmentations we ever touched were those of whites," Ta'li said. "If you go beyond the United States, you find plenty of dark-skinned and copper-skinned Companions. All the Jaridians, however, are cream-colored, like you, Kincaid, a white man."

"How come you're always siding with Hubble even though Da'an's supposed to be your friend?" Nu'na asked. "How come you treat us and the Taelons who joined like scum even though we're taking time away from our families and our friends to fight this battle for you? What's the matter, Liam? Da'an's not good enough for you because Da'an's not your kind?"

"No!" Liam snapped. "Don't you even try to turn my personal relationship with Da'an into a racist rant! You know that I would die for Da'an! All of you do! Don't listen to her. She's nothing but a sad little girl who prays on other people's pain to give herself a quick thrill."

"Why do you have such a problem with your Kimeran heritage, Liam?" Ma'ri asked. "How come you favor your human side over your Kimeran side? No, not even your human side. You favor your mother's side. You hated Sandoval, you hate Ha'gel—what the hell did poor Ha'gel ever do to you but help give birth to you? Were you just born a racist, Liam?"

"Ma'ri, quit it!" Tay'jay yelled. "That's an order!"

"I'm not gonna stand here and take this from this prejudiced son of a bitch anyway," Ma'ri scoffed storming out of the communications room.

"Why don't you just admit it, Liam? Jonathan Doors was a racist and so are you!" Nu'na cried.

"I'm not even going to dignify that with a response," Liam said, his voice low and sinister. "What about you, Nu'na?"

"Oh, here we go again," Nu'na scoffed. "What about me? What mind-blowing revelation do you have tell about me this time?"

"You make all these great claims about how I'm prejudiced against your kind, but I've never once seen you hang around with a human," Liam said. "In fact, you don't strike me as one who has any friends. You claim you serve Da'an loyally and would die for her, but when was the last time Da'an ever acknowledged you or commended you? Face it, Nu'na. You're jealous. You can't see why Da'an favors me and the rest of these humans over you and the Espelons. It just tears you up inside that Da'an cares about me and confides in me."

"Hmph," Nu'na snorted. "She doesn't do much confiding in you anymore. When was the last time Da'an ever sat down and had a long talk with you? When was the last time Da'an took you aside and asked how was your day? You're so dense and so in love with yourself that you don't even see it. Da'an avoids you. Da'an sits down and talks with everyone else in this organization _but_ you. Da'an's had even more intimate time with Hubble than you, and you still think Da'an still likes you and cares for you? You are nothing to Da'an. You're nothing but a liability, a monkey Da'an's been trying to get off her back for three years. Now, she's finally found the means to do it, but you still cling to her like a latchkey kid. Take the hint, Kincaid. Da'an don't love you anymore! And I'm guessing the reason why is because you're nothing but a selfish, arrogant, worthless, alien hate-mongering Kimeran bastard child that Da'an wouldn't even bother to spit on, much less be friends with!"

"What the deuce is going on here?" Ta'lay yelled.

All eyes turned to Ta'lay, who had apparently returned from one of her voyages.

"Hey, Ta'lay," Nu'na said cheerfully. "Join the fun. I was just exposing Liam Kincaid for the racist shit he is."

"That's it," Liam said. "I don't have to take this from you or anyone else in this room! I've put my reputation and my life on the line for this sad organization and the one you side with is her—what? Just because a couple of disgruntled members went on a talk show? If you guys really want me out as leader, just say so. No one's stopping you here! I'm done with you guys. To hell with you! To hell with you and this whole fucking campaign!"

Liam stormed out of the room. Ta'lay had to swerve out of his way to avoid getting knocked down. Tay'jay grabbed her and pulled her into one of the conference rooms.

"You ready to admit that you've let this get out of hand?" Ta'lay asked sharply.

"Look, those people in that room know that Liam's not really a racist," Tay'jay said. "That talk show's just putting ideas in their heads. Besides, this may not be such a bad thing."

"Do not go there!" Ta'lay said in an annoyed tone.

"The more these idiots fight amongst themselves, the less people notice that the number of Taelons and Espelons is gradually decreasing," Tay'jay said.

Ta'lay shook her head in disgust.

"What?" Tay'jay asked defensively. "Don't tell me you think I had something to do with this? What, you think I'm giving Nu'na tips or something? You think we just get together and think, 'Gee, how can we piss of Liam Kincaid today?'"

"You are certainly not doing anything to alleviate it!"

"Look, I have no idea why Nu'na hates Liam so much, and I really don't care either. Liam is an arrogant prick who thinks he's Jesus Christ incarnate just because he was born with sha'quarava and blew up a freakin' robot! The little child could use some abuse to get his head out of the clouds. If it came down to a choice between us and humanity, he'd sell us out in a heartbeat. He's openly admitted it, but I'm supposed to make it my business to rescue him and add to his immature, holier-than-thou attitude. He makes it his mission to draw the line between humanity's business and Taelon business. Well, this is humanity's business and humanity's problem. If they wanna waste their time with this sha'bra and get at each other's throats, it's not my business to stop them. Humanity is Liam, Renee and Hubble's problem. The Taelons and the Espelons are all that I care about right now."

"Were you awake at that meeting?" Ta'lay asked. "If Da'an's plan is going to work, we need humanity's help."

"You're asking help from the wrong kinds of humans. We need Augur's help. We need Link's help. We might even need J. Street's help eventually, but as far as I'm concerned Liam Kincaid is a liability. He's a relic with a vendetta that nobody cares about anymore. Da'an left us all with different jobs to do and she told us not to let anything stand in our way. My job is to evacuate my people and to do it in the most discreet way possible. That's what I'm doing."

"No, what you are doing is called irony sport, and in the most asinine way imaginable!" Ta'lay yelled.

"I'd prefer the word 'creative'," Tay'jay shot back.

Ta'lay scoffed. "You are just like Nu'na and the rest of those Espelons. You don't care about any of these humans."

"Oh, so now you sudden give a damn about them?" Tay'jay shot back.

Ta'lay blushed deeply and turned away from Tay'jay.

"Yeah, that's what I thought," Tay'jay said, shaking his head.

"Listen, it is not my place to question your means," Ta'lay said shrewdly.

"Doesn't seem to be stopping you," Tay'jay said.

"Would you let me finish?" Ta'lay asked sharply.

Tay'jay placed his hands up in admittance. "Fire away."

"Could you try not to let this get too out of hand?" Ta'lay asked, practically begging him. "I may not understand some of Da'an's motives. I may not even agree with them. Believe it or not, I am on your side, and watching Liam Kincaid squirm does provide something of a thrill. However, I am quite certain that Da'an would prefer not to return to Earth to a bunch of pissed off humans and then find out you helped make them that way."

"She's gonna return to that no matter what," Tay'jay said. "It's the beginning of the end out there. There's no way for them to stop it. Just sit back and watch the storm blow over."

"You are keeping something from me. I know it. I just hope that it is worth all of this," Ta'lay said. "By the way, I came to inform you about the Ring."

"What's wrong with it?" Tay'jay asked.

"There is a coded message waiting for you in my shuttle," Ta'lay said. "I think you should see it for yourself."

"Lead the way."

* * *

Liam marched straight back to his apartment and crashed into his easy chair. After taking a long nap, he thought about calling Renee. Then, he thought about calling Abby. When he realized that he had stopped caring enough about the both of them to call, he turned on the television. While flipping through channels, Liam suddenly came across Renee's face on the screen. He paused his channel surfing for a moment to make sure it was really Renee. It looked like she was giving a press conference.

"I just want to set the record straight that even though I was very much aware of the inherent discrimination going on in Doors International, I did not participate in it nor condone it," she said to the reporter amidst the flashing cameras. "Jonathan Doors was never more than a colleague. He was never a friend to me. However, Joshua Doors is a wonderful friend, and it is my hope that the questionable characteristics of his deceased father will not reflect ill upon him as both a person and the owner of this company. Joshua Doors is nothing like his father, nor will he ever be like his father. I remain faithful that he will bring swift action to resolve this embarrassing issue. I hope that this is one case where the sins of the father are not visited upon the son."

"Oh, Renee, not you too," Liam groaned.

Renee pointed to another reporter.

"If you did not condone the actions of Jonathan Doors, why did you stand by and let it go on for so long?"

"That's a very good question. I think this entire scandal is proof of the feelings many of the executive officers of Doors International harbor against women," Renee said. "Due to the events that I have seen on Abby Franklin's show, my own intimate knowledge about the company, and independent research conducted by my own special team, I am now convinced that someone at Doors International is responsible for creating that footage and sending it to the Taelon campaign teams. I have no idea whether their attack was meant to be against me or against the ANA. All I know is that what has happened is wrong for all parties involved and I hope that in time we will find the true culprit of these crimes and swift justice will follow."

"This is madness," Liam said, turning off the television. He rose from his chair and went in search of a book.

* * *

On the final day before their departure, Da'an and Ariel spent the whole day traveling the village in the valley below the mountain with Nye. She took Da'an and Ariel to several sites of the native peoples. They returned to the community with armloads of clothing and accessories they had purchased for Ariel, one of which Ariel wore for the rest of the day. It was a red and orange blouse that wore like a miniature dress. Woven into the sleeves of the blouse were amber stones. It was patterned with intricate red, black and orange designs. The skirt had a shawl attached to it with the same designs. Along the slit of the skirt was a thin train of amber stones. It matched the wrap that Naya had made for her so well that Ariel had to wear it. After much pleading, Da'an had finally decided to let her wear it to bed and again the next day. However, Da'an had drawn the line at that.

Ariel watched the twilight from the suite envelop the sky. It was a staggering but beautiful backdrop seeing the setting red sun contrast the dark azure blanket slated to take its place. Ariel had noticed it was the only time that she could not see the stars in the sky.

"It is pretty, isn't it?" Da'an asked, joining her. The irony that Da'an was wearing a simple white gown while Ariel was wearing an elaborately designed outfit was not lost on Da'an.

"Mommy, is it weird that this reminds me of that rose you have at home?" Ariel asked.

"No, not really," Da'an replied. She looked down to see that Ariel was also wearing the blue crystal around her neck. "Would you like to see something?"

"Yeah," Ariel said eagerly.

Da'an waved her hand and turned off all the lights in the room. Then, she removed the crystal from Ariel's neck and told her to stand away from the window. With her telekinetic powers Da'an carefully moved the crystal until it was directly against the setting sun. That was when the crystal exploded in a ray of deep blue that sparkled against the entire room.

"Wow!" Ariel cried. "I didn't know it could do that!"

"It used to shine like this all the time. Now its beauty may only be revealed against starlight. Sometimes a light is never so beautiful until it shines against the blackest night," Da'an said. She brought the crystal back into Ariel's hands and turned on the lights in the room. "Remember that."

"Okay," Ariel said. "Do I really have to go to bed so early?"

"Under normal circumstances I would let you stay up later, but we have a long way to go tomorrow," Da'an said. "We must get up bright and early."

"Mommy, can we come back here one day, with Daddy I mean?" Ariel asked.

"We shall see," Da'an said.

"Will you tell me a story?" Ariel asked, as Da'an pulled the covers over her.

"What kind of story should I tell you?" Da'an asked back.

"I don't know," Ariel said. "Tell me a good one."

Da'an chuckled. "A good one, huh?"

If Da'an's mind had not been filled with the information she and Nye had shared, she probably would have come up with several stories to tell Ariel. But only one was on Da'an's mind now, a story she had been sorting through her head for years now.

When Ariel did not get a response from her mother, she turned on her side and prepared to go to sleep. She knew well not to press her mother too hard, and she was not all that interested anyway.

"Many years ago," Da'an suddenly began, "there was a little boy and a little girl who were born on the same day at the same time."

Ariel sat up and listened attentively.

"This little boy and little girl were two very special children with special powers."

"What kind of powers?" Ariel asked.

"Well, the little boy could read people's thoughts and he could make people do things," Da'an said, sitting next to Ariel in the bed, "and sometimes, if he concentrated hard enough, he could see things before they happened. The little girl could move things with her mind, and if she concentrated hard enough, she could create fire…" Da'an stopped to demonstrate to Ariel by creating a tiny flame in her hand, "…right in the palm of her hand."

Ariel, in awe of the orange glow, tried to touch the flame, but it went out just before Ariel could grab it. Instead, she ended up grabbing her mother's hand.

"These children were born into a very powerful and noble family," Da'an said. "They were known as the _Amo'qui_. The _Amo'qui_ ruled over their entire species, and nearly everyone adored them. They were responsible for making the species prosperous and vibrant. For hundreds of years, the _Amo'qui_ made sure their people were at peace with their sworn enemy. They had brought their people into a golden age."

"What's a golden age?"

"It is the time at which any civilization is at its greatest. The people are at peace with each other, the children grow up safely, and life prospers."

"Neat."

"As wonderful as life was then, there were many others out there who were jealous of the _Amo'qui_ family's power, and they wanted that power for themselves. The main rival to the _Amo'qui_ was a family called the _Zunus'tos_. They were tired of living in the shadow of the _Amo'qui_ glory and they wanted that glory for themselves. Now during this time, there was also one more powerful force at work. This force came from a group of elders called the priests. The priests were the advisors to the _Amo'qui_ family. They helped maintain the peace and they were the holy representatives of the people. But the leader of the priests was also hungry for power. You see he had lived for such a long time that he thought he was a god. He helped make the people what they were, and he wanted them to follow the path he had set for them. As long as the _Amo'qui_ led the people down that path, the high priest was good to them and gave them peace, prosperity and glory."

"So the _Amo'qui_ were the rulers and the high priest told them what to do?" Ariel asked.

"Exactly," Da'an said. "Now, the little girl and the little boy were very special to the high priest. He thought that they should come live with him so that he could teach them how to use their powers in his name. However, the children's grandfather was the leader of the people at the time, and he thought that the high priest was trying to turn the children against him."

"So what did he do?"

"He and the high priest eventually reached an agreement. Both of them would take care of the two children together. When they grew up, they would let the children decide whom they wanted to serve. The high priest and the grandfather were especially fond of the little girl."

"Why?"

"Because the little girl had another special power that even she did not know about," Da'an said. She took Ariel's crystal once again and laid one finger on its tip. Slowly but surely what little light glowed inside the crystal faded to black. "A power so rare and so remarkable that if used appropriately…" Da'an told Ariel, holding the crystal parallel to her shining blue fingertip, "…it could even bring people back to life." The crystal ignited in a bright cerulean aura before it returned to Ariel's hands and the bright aura faded into its original dimness.

"Wow!" Ariel exclaimed.

"The girl was given the most attention. She grew up in a loving environment completely unaware of the scheming high priest's plans for her. Her grandfather taught her how to be strong, noble, and honorable. Eventually, she decided that she wanted to follow in her grandfather's footsteps and become a leader just like him."

"So then, she was like a princess, and he was a king," Ariel said.

Da'an laughed. "A little."

"So what happened next?"

"The crucial day came when she became an adult: the day she turned sixteen. She and her brother were taken to the priests to undergo a celebration and a ceremony for their growing into adulthood. That was when the high priest made his move, and he did something terrible to the princess."

"What did he do?"

"He erased her memory, all memory she had of her time with her beloved grandfather and her brother," Da'an said. "He suppressed her powers so that she could not use them against him, and then he took her. He stole her from her grandfather and brought her to his fortress where he would mold her and groom her into serving him. But something else happened that the high priest did not expect."

"What?" Ariel asked.

"When he tried to do the same thing to the princess's brother, he fought back," Da'an said, "and won. He fled from the high priest to a place where the high priest could never find him."

"Did he save his sister?"

"Unfortunately he couldn't. The high priest was just too powerful. The boy would simply have to wait for the opportunity to save her, and hope that he could get through to her. For years the priests put the girl through rigorous training, teaching her to become a member of their order, but there were people who did not agree with the teachings of the high priests."

"Really?"

"Yes," Da'an said, "you see, the high priest was leading the people down a singular path, but another scientist had found an alternate path for the people to follow, an easier path. The problem was that this path would eventually drain the high priest of all his power, and he would no longer be immortal. Therefore, when the scientist published a paper telling the people about this new path, the high priest did all he could to get the people not to believe in it. Eventually, the entire species became divided. The ones that sided with the high priest's path called themselves the Fundamentalists. The ones that sided with the scientist called themselves the Liberated Ones. After many years, the Liberated Ones had so much power that the high priest became afraid that his people would turn against him. Even the king, who had once served the high priest loyally, was becoming influenced by this movement. The high priest had to do something drastic, and he knew just how to do it too."

"What did he do?"

"He devised a cruel plan to rid the world of his enemies in one fell swoop. His first victim was the king. Many years after the high priest had taken the girl, the king had faced the fact that he would never see his beloved granddaughter again, but he was wrong. She returned, and she spent her years rising through the ranks until she eventually became a lord in the king's house. You remember what I told you about the power-hungry _Zunus'tos_?"

"Yes," Ariel said.

"The high priest devised a plan with the leader of the family to overthrow the king and replace him with his own granddaughter. The leader of the _Zunus'to_ family tricked the king into believing that he wanted to end the rivalry between the two families once and for all. The families would join forces and rule over the people together. As a symbol of their union, the king and the leader of the _Zunus'to_ family agreed to a marriage."

"A marriage?" Ariel asked.

"That's right. The _Zunus'to_ leader's son would marry a fine _Amo'qui_ woman of the son's choice. And who do you think the son chose?"

"The princess," Ariel said.

"That's right," Da'an said. "The high priest, however, made one crucial mistake in his plans for the girl. In order to make sure she never shared information about himself and the other priests to outsiders, the high priest had to wipe away her memory once again. This gave the king a wonderful opportunity. Even though she did not remember him, the king took the girl back under his wing. He told her that he was her grandfather and he told her many things about her childhood. However, he was careful not to tell her too much so as not to arouse the high priest's suspicions. The princess fell for him again, and for once it was just like old times. It was because of him that she was able to rise through the ranks and become a powerful lord. But now, with this arranged marriage, the king was forced to give her up once again and this time to a man she did not love."

"That's so mean," Ariel said. "But I don't get something. Why didn't the high priest try to stop the king from making friends with the princess? Couldn't the king turn the princess against him?"

"Don't you see, Ariel?" Da'an asked. "The king was unwittingly doing exactly what the high priest wanted him to do. He was grooming the princess to take his place and become a queen over the entire kingdom, and that's exactly what the high priest had planned all along. And now, with this marriage, the high priest had both the support of the _Amo'qui_ and the _Zunus'tos_. The throne was now ripe for the taking. All he needed to do was get rid of the king."

"What did he do?" Ariel asked, dreading Da'an's answer.

"The high priest did a terrible, unimaginable thing," Da'an said. "Remember that I told you that the high priest wanted to get rid of the king and the Liberated Ones that followed him. To do that, he began a war. He arranged for terrorists from the rival kingdom to attack the king's palace. The terrorists attacked the palace and destroyed it. The poor king died inside. He did not even get to say goodbye to his beloved granddaughter."

"No!" Ariel cried. "What happened to the princess?"

"A horrid thing that the high priest did not anticipate," Da'an said. "You see she and her new husband had given birth to a child. The little boy was running through the wreckage with his father to the shuttles where they would flee the destruction around them. The princess was supposed to go on a separate shuttle and meet them, but she loved her child too much and she wanted to make sure they were safe. So she raced after them. She saved her husband and her son, but just before they could get to the shuttles, the princess and her son were captured. They were taken to a dark and terrible place, where the terrorists did unspeakable things to the princess. It was so painful and horrifying that it drove her insane, and she went on a fierce rampage killing every last one of the terrorists just before the high priest and his minions could save her."

"The high priest is so mean!" Ariel cried. "He never should've let that happen to her. All he cares about is his power."

"That is very true," Da'an said, "but eventually, some soldiers came and rescued her. After several months of waiting for her to recover, she finally did and it was time for the house to elect a new leader. And that was when the high priest would realize that he made the greatest mistake of all."

"What happened?" Ariel asked.

"The _Zunus'tos_ betrayed him," Da'an said. "Instead of electing the princess to become leader, they elected her husband. Luckily, the new king was more than willing to follow the path of the high priest. He sent his kingdom into a long and terrible war, a war that is still being fought today. The voices of the Liberated Ones were silenced forever, and for hundreds of years, the princess fell deep into a rut of bitterness and despair. She became the high priest's cruel and silent enforcer. She manipulated many other unsuspecting kingdoms into serving her and the high priest only to betray them later by sending them off fight losing battles against her kingdom's enemies. She had grown ruthless and emotionless. All that the king had taught her died away as the war turned her heart to stone."

"No," Ariel moaned. "That's so sad."

"It gets worse," Da'an said. "The princess taught her own child to behave that way too, and eventually he grew more bitter than she. One day, he turned against her and the two became brutal enemies for the rest of their days."

"I don't like this story," Ariel mumbled.

"Aw, it gets better," Da'an said. "Remember what I told you about the crystal?"

"The light's always the prettiest in the dark?" Ariel asked.

"That's right," Da'an said, "and in this case, the light was that of the princess's loving and devoted brother."

"The one who ran away!" Ariel cried.

"You thought I had forgotten about him, didn't you?"

"Yeah," Ariel said sheepishly.

"Well, I didn't. The boy fled to the darkest part of the universe, but he never forgot about his sister. He knew all of this was going to happen in his visions, and he spent the rest of his life preparing for an opportunity to restore his sister and his family to those glorious days of old. He devised his own plan. He prepared one significant kingdom for the arrival of his people, an arrival he had seen in his visions. He would teach these people to be unique. Eventually, one of them would surpass all the expectations of the princess and rekindle the passion and the warmth she once had. And that is precisely what happened. Using these people as her inspiration, she broke free of the evil spell of the high priest and now she preaches the path that was favored by the Liberated Ones, the path that will destroy the high priest and his followers once and for all."

"So then, how does the story end?" Ariel asked. "Does she beat him? Does she end the war and save her species?"

"I can't tell you that," Da'an said.

"Why not?"

"Because the story hasn't ended yet," Da'an said, nuzzling against Ariel's cheek.

Ariel giggled.

"Now, go to sleep," Da'an said, joining her under the covers. She then turned off the lights and turned on the energy shower.

Ariel nuzzled against her mother's chest and fell into a peaceful sleep, dreaming her own happy ending for the princess.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6: On the Issue of Consent

"I never trusted that Liam Kincaid."

"I heard that when he first became part of the resistance, he tried to kill everyone at headquarters and even tried to pin it all on Doors."

"I take it people around here watched the Abby Franklin Show," Augur said as Tay'jay walked through the entrance to ANA building.

"Eh, you get a few disgruntled Human Lib members, a couple of paranoid aliens, and what do you know? All hell breaks loose," Tay'jay shrugged.

"And you had nothing to do with it?" Augur asked skeptically.

"You give me way too much credit," Tay'jay said. "What are you doing back here anyway?"

"I need the advice of a smart alien, and since Da'an's not around, I guess you'll have to do," Augur said, pulling Tay'jay away from the traffic passing through the doorway.

"It'd better just be advice you're asking me for," Tay'jay said. "I've got some problems of my own to deal with right now. I've got to disappear with the next group. The only reason I'm not leaving now is because I wanna talk to Da'an when she gets back."

"What's wrong now?"

"Let's just say I left the Ring with a lot of problems," Tay'jay said, "and now those problems have become issues."

"Who's gonna manage the rest of the evacuation?"

"Who else? My sister."

"Da'an can't do it. Hubble watches her like a hawk, and it's gonna get worse if the elections turn out like I think they will. Leave the evacuation to me. I can do it for you," Augur offered.

"Yeah, right, like I'm gonna trust a human," Tay'jay scoffed.

"Hey, I was at that meeting too," Augur said. "Seriously, I'm almost finished with my side of the bargain too, and my experience with Doors taught me a thing or two about networking. You scratch my back, I scratch yours, _compadre_."

Tay'jay started laughing, but he stopped when he saw the look in Augur's eyes. The man was dead serious in his offer. "All right, Devereaux, you've got a deal, but I'm only doing this because it's an emergency. You report everything to Da'an. And do not, under any circumstances known on heaven and earth, tell Liam what's happening no matter how much you feel like you should."

"My lips are sealed," Augur promised. "Now, you ready for your side of the bargain?"

"What do you want?" Tay'jay asked.

"Link and I are convinced that the priests are spending some big time money on a large sabotage plot, and it's working," Augur said.

"No, duh," Tay'jay groaned with a cold roll of his eyes.

"We've got a plan to do something about it," Augur said, "but we're having trouble locating the money source. Some big bank's helping the priests manage all this money, but we can't figure out which one."

"Naw, they won't use a bank," Tay'jay said. "Zo'or tried that once. He ended up with a very pissed off dead alien on his hands."

"At first they had money in the banks, but now it's all gone," Augur said. "By the time we learned about it, Zo'or had over three trillion dollars in gold on his hands. That number's probably increased since then and it's got to be somewhere. Three trillion dollars in gold doesn't just disappear."

"How'd you find out about the bribes?" Tay'jay asked.

"We got the paparazzo that taped Renee and Frit," Augur said. "He's been playing our mole. We've already got confirmation that entertainment news networks and high price editors got paid thousands to create and broadcast the sabotage campaign, but we can't afford to get them arrested. The ANA's not gonna walk away from this clean unless we can pin this on the Taelons."

"All right," Tay'jay said. "When I was a thief, after my crew and I would get a big score, we'd take the stuff to people who worked in places like the banks and money manufacturers you have on Earth. For a small cut, they'd appraise the stuff, print the money we'd need, and I'd be able to buy food and supplies the next day. But because of what you guys did with Zo'or, the priests can't afford to use a bank. So what's their only other option?"

"Money laundering and minters," Augur said, "but they'd never get away with it. The feds have that smart money wrinkle now."

"I'm not all convinced that they're getting this money minted," Tay'jay said. "Your mole must've gotten paid or else you wouldn't have had a trail to follow. So how did he get the check?"

"Electronic deposit," Augur said in a way that showed Tay'jay that Augur understood exactly where he was going.

"It's the wave of the future, my good man," Tay'jay said. "Everything's done with computers these days. Nobody uses cash anymore, at least nobody who's not a hit man for hire. They all use credit, and these days, it's remarkably easy to convert trillions of dollars of gold into an unlimited source of credit. All you need is the right kind of medium to convert gold into credit."

"But they'd still need a bank to do that," Augur said.

"Dude, the Taelon government may be a homeless government, but it's still a government," Tay'jay said. "If the priests are going to send this planet to war, they've got to have the funds to back it up. All first world countries have their own banks to manage inflation and GDP, and Earth ain't the only place the Taelons are occupying. The priests don't need a bank on Earth to manage their money. They can create their own bank. All they need is a ready and willing company to print the money based on all the gold they've acquired, and if they can't even get that, then use the next best thing."

"An international crime organization," Augur said.

"Exactly," Tay'jay said. "What the hell do you think the priests were doing for all these months? What might they have been doing long before they even came to Earth? War ain't cheap, my good man. And thanks to pioneers like Zo'or who studied the way your people manage their economy, the priests have learned to do it themselves without the help of a world government."

"They've created their own bank," Augur surmised, "and they're using an international crime ring to print the money since they'd never be able to convince a legitimate government minting company to print it for them without hinting to the rest of the world what they were planning."

"Yes, but they can't print the money because of the smart money wrinkle," Tay'jay said, "so they use credit instead. It's efficient, it's vast, and if it's just lying there in the information highway, there's no way to trace it."

"Because anyone who tries to backtrack it can run across a virus, a firewall, or even a false trail," Augur said. "It's like an alien stock market. The Taelon Wall Street, and the crime lords are their brokers and accountants."

"The information highway is vast and infinite."

"If they did something like that, they wouldn't even need to keep the gold on Earth. They could just ship it to God-knows-where."

"You seem to have stumbled across quite the jewel. It'll be a bitch to prove, though. Even if you did nail the source, you'd be nailing the mafia, not the priests."

"So what'll we do?"

"Well, regardless of whether or not you can pin it on the priests, your true mission seems to be plugging the source, correct?"

"Actually that's not our plan," Augur said. "It's too late for that. All we're trying to do is save the ANA's reputation."

"I think it's too late even for that," Tay'jay said. "Look, humanity's the kind of species that's always looking for somebody else to blame for its own problems. You probably know as well as I do that this money's gonna stop going out as soon as the elections are over. Therefore, you want to salvage the reputation of the ANA, you've gotta play hardball. You've gotta find a scapegoat."

"Like Billy Frit!" Augur whispered with a snap of his fingers. "That would clear up Renee's name and get her job back."

"You'll need to find some way to trap him," Tay'jay said. "The only way you'll be able to get him is if you can catch him in the act. You expose him, and everyone he's been working with will fall on him like dominoes."

"At the least if we can't stop Frit or the priests, we'll have some good inside info on the priests' plans and maybe even their new Synod," Augur said.

"See what you can do when you just have a little faith in yourself?" Tay'jay asked slyly. "You know, I'd always had my doubts when Da'an decided to let you in on the plan, but she was right. You _are_ useful."

"Wait a minute," Augur said sharply. "Are you saying that Da'an knew all this was going to happen, and used me to find out all this stuff about the priests for her because she didn't have time to do it herself?"

"Come on, Augur. You don't have to be psychic to know how to make the best out of a bad situation, and you definitely don't have to be an alien," Tay'jay chuckled cryptically. "I had some last minute chores to take care of before I left, but since you're gonna be taking my place, I might as well leave them for you to handle. I'll have the list ready in an hour so you'd better be here. Good luck."

Tay'jay left the puzzled Augur and continued his way down to the barracks to meet Ma'ri. Augur had to admit that he had never encountered a puzzle as complex as the Taelon race. Just when he thought he had them figured out, something else would happen to put him back at square one.

_Am I getting played here? But something about all of this seems dirty. It doesn't have Da'an's eloquence. Tay'jay then? No. He doesn't care enough, and there's nothing for him to gain. But that only leaves…_

_Link!_

_That sneaky son of a bitch!_

* * *

After the press conference, Link and Renee ditched their transport and decided to get a drink at the Flat Planet Café. Link had never been inside Augur's café before. When he first set foot, he had no idea what to make of it all. The entire café seemed like one giant tye-dyed t-shirt. Even the customers seemed to blend in with the psychedelic barrage of pinks, blues, and reds. At the front of the café was a giant television screen that was showing highlights of the latest football game.

"Ugh," Renee said, taking a seat next to the bar. "I feel terrible, like I need to go home and take a shower."

"You did fine, Renee," Link said. "We just have one more phase of the plan, and you can be hard at work again by next Monday."

"Yeah," Renee pondered. When the bartender came, Renee ordered a gin and tonic. Link ordered a domestic beer. When she turned to speak with him, she saw he was watching the highlights. "Football man?"

"All my life," Link said. "I had an old love affair with the New York Giants."

"Not anymore?"

"No time."

Renee laughed. "It's so ridiculous. Every time I see football, I think about the World Bowl. Wasn't that the stupidest franchise ever? I still think they used that as a reason to give DC a football team."

"Wouldn't have lasted as long as it did if Doors hadn't interrupted their broadcast," Link agreed.

"I remember when Jonathan planned that," Renee said. "I had told him time and time again that he should rig the NBA All-star game or the World Cup or something. But I guess he got what he wanted from the broadcast, so it didn't really matter."

"The resistance had a lot of appeal on the East Coast back then, or so I've been told. I'm guessing he was probably trying to reach out to them the most. The rest of the world was just a bonus. But I'll tell you what the real problem with the World Bowl was. They couldn't get people from the South to watch it, and you know how football is the South. When the ratings fell there, they fell everywhere. And when America stopped paying attention, so did the rest of the world. I mean come on. What does the rest of the world need American football for? They've got real football, or as we Americans call it, 'soccer.' "

"They should've known it was gonna happen. They tried that crap like back in the seventies, and it didn't work then. What made them think it would work now?"

"Actually, worldwide American football's always been around. It was just never popular. But I don't try to understand the trends of modern day society," Link said, silently acknowledging the bartender when by taking his and Renee's drinks. "Like that pa'dar crap. Who the hell actually watched that stuff?"

"I've got a dirty little secret," Renee said. "I used to practice some pa'dar myself. That was one trend I got caught on too. I can't believe I was so dense back then. I thought I could do it better than the Taelons. Then, I saw what Tay'jay and the others do on that mat, and I turned in my staff forever."

"Hey, just because Taelon Pa'dar is more difficult doesn't mean that no human can do it. You should have more faith in yourself. You're actually a smart person and a strong woman. You just…tend to have a couple of blonde moments every now and then."

"Oh, a couple?" Renee asked sarcastically, knowing perfectly well that Link was referring to that embarrassing moment when she thought that America had won its independence in 1776.

"There's an easy fix to that problem," Link joked. "Just go back to your real hair color."

"Don't blow it until you've tried it," Renee defended. "Blondes may not be the smartest people at times, but they _do_ have more fun."

The two laughed at the comment and sipped their drinks together.

"It feels nice to be able to talk about stupid stuff for once," Renee said. "Liam and I used to have the weirdest conversations together."

"TMI, Renee."

"Sorry. I just miss him. What a difference a few days makes, huh?"

"He can't stay away from you for too long. You're meant for each other."

"Yeah," Renee said, wondering what Liam was doing now. "Hey, Link. Can I ask you a question?"

"Shoot."

"How did you know that Da'an was it for you?"

Link did not even have to think about that one. "When I nearly lost her. When she lost her mind, I realized that I couldn't live without her. That's how I knew."

"Do you think she feels the same way?"

"I sure hope so."

"She's a lucky woman to have you."

Link laughed heartily. "She damn well better be. She's not gonna find too many genetically engineered human guys to pick from."

Renee laughed with him.

"Hey, Renee, I gotta ask you," Link suddenly said.

"What?"

"Was Doors…you know? Was he really…?"

"A racist?" Renee asked.

Link nodded.

"Hell no," Renee answered. "He was a bigot, a tycoon, an elitist, a narcissist, even an extremist at times, but no—not a racist. No, Jonathan was a human supremacist. You know. The Gene Roddenberry type times a million. There's a word for it, but I can't remember what it is. You know. Those people that think humanity's the center of the universe?"

"An anthropocentric," Link said for her.

"That's it!" Renee said snapping her fingers. "Hey, how'd you get so smart?"

"I did a lot of reading back when I was paralyzed," Link lied.

Suddenly, Link's global rang. Augur was on the other line.

"We're ready to move. Get down here," Augur said.

"I'm on my way."

That was when Renee's global rang too. Hubble's face was on the screen, and he looked pale enough to be the living dead.

"Renee, I need your help," Hubble said. "It's pandemonium here. We're losing candidates by the hour. Everyone's telling the public we're all snakes and liars. It's all about to fall apart!"

Renee sighed haughtily. "I'm missing the part where I'm supposed to care. You're on your own, Urick. Call me when I've got my job back."

And with that Renee, closed her global.

"Hey, I've gotta jet," Link said. "Drinks on me?"

"Thanks," Renee said. "I think I'll go find my driver before he calls the search dogs. I have to go by the ANA building anyway to get a few things."

"Good luck," Link said.

"You too. My reputation depends on it."

* * *

When Renee passed by an office in the ANA building, she found Augur and Tay'jay exchanging small disks. Concerned that something had happened with the plan, she knocked on the door and entered.

"Is everything all right?" she asked.

"We're good," Tay'jay said. "Just exchanging information. Are you all right?"

"You mean you care?" Renee asked crossing her arms.

"I saw your press conference," Tay'jay said. "That took guts, what you did. I hope everything works out."

"Thanks…I think," Renee said uneasily.

"Hey, I'm out of town for a while," Tay'jay said. "Later."

"Well…wait, I'll walk you out," Renee offered. "I was just on my way out anyway. I had to clear a couple of things out of the communications room."

"I'm on my way too," Augur said. "We can all go. Need any help with that box?"

"I'm okay this time, Augur. So Da'an's coming back tomorrow, right?" Renee asked Tay'jay.

"The day after," Tay'jay corrected. "Just in time to see the results."

"That ought to be an event," Renee said cynically. She stopped for a moment to face Tay'jay's eyes.

"What's wrong?" Tay'jay asked her.

"I am really sorry…for the way I've acted," Renee told him sincerely, "and for the way I may have treated you and the Espelons. We really are glad all of you are here and helping us, and I think this war—no, this farce with the Taelons made me too bitter and too stubborn to see the kind of person I was becoming."

"Thanks," Tay'jay said, "but you don't need to apologize. If I had a dollar for every mistake I made with the Ring, I wouldn't have to steal anymore."

Renee huffed, but it was a humored huff. "A dollar?"

"Meh," Tay'jay shrugged. When Augur started walking again, the two of them followed, but slowly. "Look, there'll be other battles. We all have to lose at least once in our lives. It's what keeps us…human."

"Not human," Renee corrected. "Mortal."

"I like it."

"It's yours."

"Thanks."

"Renee!"

All three of them turned to see Liam.

Renee sighed with frustration. "What is it, Liam?"

"I…" As Liam stepped closer to her, Renee handed her box to Tay'jay so that nothing could stand in the way of him looking her straight in the eyes. "Just tell me one thing. Did he come on to you? Or did you come on to him?"

"You mean you have to ask?" Renee responded woodenly.

"Please, just tell me," Liam said.

Renee rolled her eyes. "He came on to me. I pushed him away. It's as simple as that." She took back her box and started to the elevator once again, but before she entered, she added, "At least that's how it should've been."

Liam hung his head low in shame for having ever doubted her and slowly picked his box back up.

"You know, I hear they all like flowers," Tay'jay whispered to Liam.

"Shut the hell up," Liam said harshly.

"Don't take your woman issues out on me, bitch," Tay'jay said. "I'm just trying to help you out."

"Leave him alone, TJ," Augur said.

"Kiss my ass," Liam shot back. "You never gave a damn about me."

"Why would he?" asked a passing Taelon, who had overheard the conversation.

"And what the hell do you want?" Liam snapped.

"Temper, temper," the Taelon taunted. "But I guess I should expect that from Ha'gel's spawn. It is tragic. I actually feel sorry for you."

"Liam, just walk away," Augur warned.

"Wait a minute. What are you talking about?" Liam asked, confronting the Taelon face to face.

"I am just saying that your problems with women appear to stem from your father," the Taelon said. "It would torture me as well, knowing that my own father was a rapist."

Tay'jay and Augur's mouths dropped. Liam was too shocked to even move that much. When he turned around, he found Augur and Tay'jay roaring with laughter.

"What could possibly be so funny?" Liam asked, turning red with rage.

"I'm so sorry, Liam!" Augur cried between laughs. "It's just ridiculous."

"What's so ridiculous about it?" Liam snapped.

" 'Cause I'm not so sure Ha'gel was a rapist as much as he was a horny old man," Tay'jay managed to huff, laughing so hard he was blushing. "I mean could you see that?"

"Oh yeah. Really," Augur said sarcastically more so to the Taelon than to Tay'jay.

"I could just see the headlines now," Tay'jay chortled. " 'Rapist on the loose from beyond the Moon.' "

"No, no," Augur said. " 'He's mean, he's green, and he's one horny son of a bitch.' "

Tay'jay burst out laughing.

"I don't know," the Taelon said snidely, staring directly at Liam to get under his skin. "I don't think it's such a stretch. After all, he did kill one poor innocent woman just before he took advantage of Agent Beckett. Had Ha'gel been a human, they would have tried him as a rapist. Perhaps that is why you are so prejudiced against aliens. Obviously your alien father was not much of a role model."

"Oh man, that's some funny shit!" Tay'jay giggled. "I'm gonna need to write that down and send it to Da'an."

That was the straw that broke Liam's back. In a blind rage he lunged at the Taelon. However, Liam found his efforts at hitting the Taelon were quite obsolete. Every blow simply passed right through the Taelon and on to the floor. The Taelon pulsed a fierce blue and used his energy to hurl Liam square into Augur's arms. Even though logic said battling the Taelon was useless, Liam still tried to grab the Taelon. Augur needed Tay'jay's help to hold him down. The Taelon's eyes pierced Liam with a fierce glare.

"I will enjoy watching you pay for that," the Taelon said. "Enjoy the rest of your day, racist. It will be the last day you ever enjoy here."

"Say that to my face, you bulbous, light-bulb-headed, oversized Tinky-Winky doll!" Liam roared, still trying to fight through Tay'jay and Augur's grip to hurl another blow at the Taelon.

The Taelon simply walked away and glided the tips of his fingers across his left palm. Tay'jay understood the gesture and cried, "Hey! I'll be talking to you later, buster! You got me!"

"Get the hell off me!" Liam yelled, finally forcing his way out of Augur and Tay'jay's arms. "Thanks a lot, you guys. You're a real help, you know that?"

"Why don't you just go home, and come back when you learn to control yourself?" Tay'jay asked, slamming his fist against the elevator button. "Show some respect. I may have actually saved your life. That Taelon would've killed you five times before you hit the ground, which is fewer times than I can say had it been an Espelon like me."

"Hey, guys, let's just let this slide," Augur said. "I mean that Taelon was looking for a fight. Nu'na probably sent him to rile your feathers, Liam."

"Stay the hell out of it Augur!" Liam yelled, heading for the stairs. "I don't need you, and I sure as hell don't need him!"

"Be sure not to bust your ass when you're stomping down those stairs okay?" Tay'jay shot back, boarding the open elevator. "Oh, and if you do bust your ass, try not to attack the poor stairs!"

Augur was torn between the two, but he only had a split second to decide. He had always known one day he would have to choose between his best friend and his new sworn duty, but he never imagined it would be so soon. He could only hope that Liam would forgive him for his choice.

"Liam, keep your global on," Augur said, following Tay'jay into the elevator. "I'll call you. We'll talk!"

"Don't bother!" Liam yelled, already making his march down the stairs.

"Liam, wait!" Augur pleaded.

"You heard the man," Tay'jay said in a nasty tone, pushing Augur back so that the elevator doors could close.

* * *

"Everything's ready," Mi'en said to Da'an in the crisp early morning breeze.

It was so early that the sun had not risen. The drowsy Ariel rested her head on Da'an's shoulders. Only Nye, Po, Naya and Mapé were there to bid the trio farewell. Po had helped Mi'en load the luggage on to the shuttle. There was a strange look of longing in her eyes as she rejoined the group. Naya was in her own robe, resting comfortably in her mother's arms. Mapé and Da'an came closer together so that the girls could say their goodbyes.

"Bye Ariel," Naya said in a thick accent. "Promise…you will wear…scarf…because when you return…I will…know you."

"I promise," Ariel mumbled. "I'll miss you."

Da'an and Mapé chuckled at their daughters.

"It amazes me how fast children can become friends," Mi'en commented. "I wish the same were for adults."

"I don't know," Da'an said in a low voice. "You and I hit it off pretty quick."

"Shut up!" Mi'en snapped in an embarrassed tone.

Nye whispered her goodbye to Ariel, and gently placed a small bag of the candy Ariel had fallen in love with in the girl's hand.

"_Larish'na_, _Amo'qui_," Mapé said. "You will always be in our prayers."

"Thank you, Mapé," Da'an said. "Mi'en, can you take Ariel to the shuttle?"

"Mommy," Ariel said, just before Mi'en could take her. "Miss Mapé called you 'Amo'qui.' "

"Yes, I believe she did," Da'an said.

"Just like in your story," Ariel said, grabbing a hold of Mi'en. Her eyes widened and she jerked back so hard that Mi'en nearly dropped her. "The princess in the story was you!"

"What is she talking about?" Mi'en asked. "What princess?"

"You _are_ the princess," Ariel said. "Aren't you, Mommy?"

Da'an brought her face to Ariel's and smiled at her with narrow deep blue eyes. "My dearest little Ariel, what do you believe?"

"Wait," Mi'en pressed. "What is this story she's talking about?"

"It's a long story," Ariel said.

"Trust me. We'll have plenty of time for me to hear it," Mi'en said.

"Well, once upon a time there was a prince and a princess, and they were brother and sister, and they were born on the same day at the same time," Ariel began as Mi'en walked her to the shuttle.

Nye stepped next to Da'an and gave her a wry smirk. "You are incorrigible."

"_I_ had a lot on my mind," Da'an said haughtily, "and I still do."

Nye huffed an amused chuckle. "Nonetheless, I hope you will return soon."

"As do I," Da'an said. "I have enjoyed my time here. It has been…an enlightening experience to say the least."

Nye stopped Da'an for a moment, and she placed her hand over Da'an's forehead. "Blue."

"Always," Da'an laughed.

Nye joined her and then she embraced her niece. When they parted, Po stepped up to Da'an with a very shy and timid baby face.

"Da'an," she gulped nervously. She had a purple satchel made of bioslurry in her hands. "Could you please give this to Mi'en when you board? Tell her…it's from me."

"I'll do that," Da'an said, taking the satchel. Just before, she brought her lips close to Po's ear. "Whatever it is you two have, it is good. I will not let her forget it."

"Thank you," Po said in a very surprised but pleased voice.

When Da'an boarded the shuttle, Ariel was still telling Mi'en the story she had heard last night. Mi'en gave Da'an a playfully snide smirk. Da'an winked back at her and secured the satchel with her personal luggage just before she secured herself in her seat. Many of the things Nye and Da'an shared together rang through Da'an's mind as the shuttle lifted off and sped out of the atmosphere. A satisfaction Da'an had not felt since the ritual of the blue rose eased her into a quiet slumber. She would finally return to Earth as a whole person, a true individual.

* * *

"This had better work," Linus said as Augur, Link, and Street surrounded him by his workstation.

"It'll work," Link assured. "Now, you're sure he got the message?"

"I swear to God he did," Linus said nervously. "He promised he'd direct deposit it by tonight. Hey, do I have anything to worry about when this is over? Is anyone gonna come after me?"

"If anyone does, you'll be the first one we call," Augur said.

"Yeah, right," Linus muttered under his breath.

"We heard that," Street snapped.

"Look, I'm only doing this because it's my chance to be a real photojournalist. This is the score I need to get out of the dirty paparazzi business once and for all. Maybe I'll even start my own photography studio," Linus rambled. "I've always wanted to take family portraits."

"Oh! Wait! Here we go!" Link cried.

_Thank God_, Augur thought to himself.

"He's online right now and he's sending the money," Link continued. "Do it, Augur!"

Immediately, Augur commandeered Linus's computer and opened the Spyware programming the sender had no doubt unwittingly installed when he opened Linus's package.

"I'm getting a trace," Augur said anxiously shaking his fists. "Come on."

When the blinking red letters that read, "Trace complete," flashed on the screen, the whole group breathed one sigh of relief. Augur immediately uploaded the data. A gray screen with black text in what was obviously a computer language appeared in front of him. Street then uploaded the data into her global and ran it through her compiler. When the compiling was finished, Street yelled, "Eureka!"

"So where is he?" Augur asked.

"Where else?" Street replied gleefully. "The Mothership."

"Let's move," Link said. "You ready to be a hero for once, Linny?"

"Ready as I'll ever be," Linus replied nervously.

Link fired a portable into the wall of the office. Augur then programmed it to take them to the cargo hold of the ship. In seconds, they were inside an enormous dark labyrinth of boxes of all shapes and sizes.

"You got the camera ready?" Link asked Linus.

Linus held it up for Link's confirmation.

"All right," Street said, opening a suitcase she had brought with her. "These are volunteer uniforms and fake implants that we can wear." She pulled out a black backpack the volunteers used to store supplies, ammo, and extra weapons and handed it to Linus. "You can hide your camera in here with the extra portables just in case we need them."

Linus gently placed his camera and the film inside and then joined the group in changing into their volunteer uniforms.

"You know, I've gotta admire the priests for the sheer gull they have to send the money directly from the Mothership," Augur said.

"I guess they figure that in the highly unlikely event that it gets traced here they can just blame it all on some disgruntled volunteer," Link said, fastening the last parts of his disguise.

"Do you guys have any idea what we're going to find?" Linus asked.

"No," Street said putting on her helmet.

"Not in the least," Link agreed.

"I'll let you know when we've checked the Mothership's database," Augur said. "If you got paid from here, then there may still be some trace information we can use to prove this was all just a smear campaign."

"All right now everybody starts on the left foot," Link said.

"I thought you only did that at weddings," Street said.

"Nope, the military does it too," Link said. "Now get in formation."

Link stood in the front, Street and Augur stood side-by-side behind him, and Linus picked up the rear. On Link's cue they started moving.

"Augur, that's your _right_ foot," Street whispered.

"It's too late! Keep going!" Augur whispered quickly.

They trumped down the long corridors of the ship, passing by several other squads without incident. It disturbed Augur that throughout this whole trip, he had not seen a single Taelon pass them. He wondered if they had all relocated to the Moonbase on the high priest's orders. He had heard so many things from the spies they had sent to the Mothership about the cleansed Taelons. He wished that he could see them with his own eyes. That appeared to be a lost cause, however, as they finally came to a console. Link, Linus and Street surrounded Augur in a guard formation as he hacked into the Mothership's computer system.

"I sure hope Da'an's energy signature still works," Augur whispered.

Amidst the tension of waiting, a volunteer stopped and asked the group what they were doing.

"We're performing a data dump on the orders of the new Synod," Link told the volunteer.

"Do you have a code clearance?"

"Yes, we do," Street told him, handing him her global.

"This is an old code," the volunteer said suspiciously. "The new Synod doesn't use this anymore."

"Unfortunately, we just got transferred from Earth," Link explained. "We haven't had time to attend debriefing. The leader said it was all right."

"Carry on then," the volunteer said in a skeptical tone that alarmed Link and Street.

The seconds it took for the volunteer to leave felt like hours to the group, but he finally left. That was when Augur announced that he was in the system.

"Unfortunately, I can't find anything in the database about the gold," Augur said.

"They must've finished converting it all into electronic money," Link said.

"Or they've got it stored somewhere else like the Moonbase," Street suggested.

"Yes, but for once luck is on _our_ side," Augur said deliciously. "Guess who's scheduled for a visit to the Mothership in just a few minutes?"

He pulled up the name for them all to see.

"Oh my God!" Street giggled in a devious tone.

"I tell you. When God closes a door, he opens a window," Link said with a crafty grin on his face that he wished the others could have seen through his helmet. "This is gonna be easier than I could've imaged."

"I have my camera ready and waiting," Linus said with an excited tension for once. "So shouldn't we get out of here before that guy comes back?"

"Yeah, let's move," Link said. "We can hide on the balcony."

"I think I'll stay here and see what else I can pull up," Augur said. "If you need anything, send a page to my global. I'll run a diversion to get you out."

Augur knew that he was definitely going the extra mile for Da'an, but he also knew that he would never have an opportunity like this again.

* * *

Abby had been trying to contact Liam to apologize for what she did on the show for hours. She had never felt so much like a sellout than she did at that moment as she sat alone in her dressing room drinking a bottle of tequila. Her agent had originally brought it in order to celebrate their highest rated episode ever, but Abby had turned the man out and asked him to leave the bottle.

As she reflected on the tragic story that was her journalistic career, she drank one large gulp from the half-empty bottle. When she first graduated with her degree, all Abby had wanted was to uncover the truth. She longed to return to her old days when she was a real journalist in the carnage of the SI War, back when the truth was a stone column that could never be bent or weathered. Her experience as a tabloid journalist and now as a talk show host, however, had taught her that the truth was nothing more than a long elastic that could be bent and twisted, shaped into the desires of the first person who exposed it to the public. Information was a powerful tool, but information shaped into propaganda was ever more powerful. Now, all Abby wanted to do was crawl back into her room and go to sleep, praying that the next day would reveal all of this to be a terrible nightmare and nothing more.

That was when her global rang and she hesitantly answered it.

"So you're the famous Abby Franklin," said the face of a black man with strange yellow glasses. "For a woman slated to be the next Oprah Winfrey, you don't look so good."

"Who are you?" Abby asked. "How did you get my number?"

"I know that you feel terrible about what happened with the show. All Liam wanted you to do was help him get the truth out about a good friend of his, and instead you got a ratings circus."

"You know Liam Kincaid?" Abby asked hopefully. "Can I talk to him?"

"Unfortunately, he's not even answering my calls, and I'm one of his oldest friends."

"He's probably still on edge about what happened."

"Suppose you could talk to Liam. What would you say?"

"I'd tell him that it wasn't his fault that I agreed to do the show. I had asked the producers several times to put Renee on the show just like Liam wanted. They said it wasn't news. What they really meant was that it wasn't ratings. Suddenly, out of the blue they tell me they want to put Hubble Urick on the show to help clear her name. Then, they told me they had a scoop that would take my talk show to the next level. I knew they'd been paid off, but I figured if the truth got out it would be worth it. I swear on my father's grave I had no idea it would go that way."

"I don't know if he'd accept that."

"I don't really expect him to, but it's the truth."

"You really are a good journalist. You just need to be a little more aggressive. At the end of the day, the Abby Franklin Show belongs to Abby Franklin. That's why I've got a new scoop that'll send your producers crying to their mamas and give you the edge you need to take control of your own show. I'm sending it to you now."

When Abby uploaded the pictures he had sent, the bottle of tequila dropped from her hand and spilled all over the floor. "These are real?"

"As real as you or me."

"My God! This clears up Renee completely!"

"Plus it re-establishes credibility in the ANA."

"But it's too late. The polls are officially opening tomorrow."

"We know, but all we care about is the truth, and, as Liam's friend, I think you should be the one to show America that he was right all along."

"I still have some friends at CNN," Abby said aquiver with excitement. "Send the guy who took these pictures over to me, and I'll do the rest."

_Looks like those old days are coming back sooner than I thought._

* * *

Frit laughed quietly as the secretary left to return to her station. He pocketed the phone number she had given him and sat back comfortably in his chair. With all the madness over, he decided it was high time to have a cigar. He closed the blinds so that the people outside his office could not see, and then he opened one of the windows to the outside. Then, he reached into his desk drawer and pulled out a Cuban cigar. As he lit the cigar, he rested his feet on top of the glass desk.

"Here's to the separation of church and state," he told himself with one long and satisfying puff.

Suddenly, there was a beep from his office phone. When he answered it, the secretary who had just given him her phone number told him with a very concerned tone that the Chairman of the Board was here to see him.

"Let him in," Frit shrugged. "He can join me in a drink."

"Okay…" the secretary said uneasily.

The Chairman of the Board burst into the office. "Frit, what the hell were you thinking?"

"Bob, sit down," Frit said naively. "Have a drink with me."

"Goddamn it! You arrogant little punk! Shut your mouth and turn on the television," the Chairman ordered furiously.

Frit followed the man's orders. The local news networks had caught on to the story Abby Franklin had released to CNN.

"But one must wonder why William Frit would take such crude advantage of so many innocent lives," Abby said, flashing pictures of him on the Mothership with several energy beings. "Did he do it for money? Did he do it for glory? Or was it to satisfy his own personal grudge against Jonathan Doors? The ones who released footage of Renee Palmer say that they never would have done so had they known it was for someone's personal gain. All they wanted, they said, was for the truth to get out. Well, the truth is out now, and it lies with one man at Doors International who must have dreamed of something more. Unfortunately, neither Mr. Frit nor anyone else at Doors International was available for comment, but I will keep trying to reach them. I will also be interviewing a photographer named Linus Snelling on my show tomorrow afternoon who will testify how he was also taken advantage of by Mr. Frit. It is my fondest hope that Mr. Frit will see this broadcast and appear on my show to answer for his actions. It is my hope that he will reveal the truth. With a special broadcast for CNN Headline News, I'm Abby Franklin."

"You've ruined the reputation of this company and all its employees!" the Chairman roared, furiously switching off the television. "Do you have any idea what this is going to do to the shareholders and all our co-ventures?"

"Wait, Bob," Frit said, putting out his cigar with jittery fingers. "This isn't how it looks. I-I can explain this. We can work this out."

"It's been worked out, Frit," Joshua said, walking in with Renee and Link. "It's been worked out in full." He slammed a manila folder full of papers on Frit's desk. "This was sent to me as a head's up by a couple of friends I still have at the DA's office. These are copies of sworn affidavits from editors at the E! Network that said you arranged for them to make a campaign video against Renee Palmer and the ANA. Also in there is an affidavit from Linus Snelling who will testify that you are the one who hired him to take lewd pictures of you and Renee after you seduced her. Jenna Locke and her law offices are filing a libel suit against you for using their legitimate cause as a springboard to fuel your personal grudge against this company. Franklin's producers said that you were the one who arranged for them to sandbag Hubble Urick on her show. Finally, the crème-de-la-crème as I like to call it, a copy of a pending lawsuit from the great Taelons themselves. They say that you used our co-venture relations with them to gain access to the Mothership and send money from their computers in an attempt to spur any trail you may have left to them. As you can see, Mr. Frit, you've pissed off a lot of good people, and the US attorneys, the state authorities, and the Atlantic National Alliance itself all assure me this is just the first in a series of legal motions we're facing."

"Not to mention the lawsuit Renee Palmer and I have pending," Link added, "but don't worry, Frit. The news isn't all that bad. Ms. Palmer and I are willing to drop all potential lawsuits so long as you resign of your own accord and Joshua Doors reinstates Ms. Palmer."

"My father may have put up with shoddy tactics like the one you displayed," Joshua said sinisterly, "but as my friend Renee Palmer so eloquently put it in that press conference, I am not my father. Now, as Ms. Palmer's legal advisor has stated, we can do this the easy way or the hard way. You can either resign now of your own accord, or I can fire you without pension and without severance. Either way, Frit, you're getting the hell out of my building today and you're never setting foot in here again."

"You can't do that!" Frit cried. "Bob, please, you can't let him do this. I've been framed!"

"I would've fought for you, Bill," the Chairman said. "I would've fought for you tooth and nail, but your actions have put us all at risk."

"Better do as he says, Frit," Joshua said. "You, uh, wouldn't want us to call security. You've made enough scenes as it is."

Frit hurled his cigar out of the window, grabbed his briefcase and stormed out of the office.

"I'll have someone send you your things," Renee said, waving her hand to fan the fresh smell of cigar smoke out of her window. She reached into the desk and pulled out the Cuban cigars. "I think I'll keep these though."

"You and everyone else will be hearing from my lawyers," Frit said snidely.

"Yeah, and what'll they tell us?" Link asked just as snidely. "How you accidentally participated in bribery, conspiracy, libel and slander, sexual harassment and extortion just for a grudge and a bigger office and how you've become 'emotionally aggravated' because you were the only one stupid enough to get caught?"

"You can't pin any of this on me," Frit said.

"Well, maybe _we_ can't," Link said, "but remember that you worked in cahoots with politicians, television producers, and the Taelons themselves. They're all Teflon enough as it is, and when Ms. Franklin's finished broadcasting her report, I'm sure they're all gonna have a field day pinning all this on you. You should also consider how the feds will probably subpoena all of Doors International's financial records from the moment you started working here. Considering how long you've been working here and considering the mess you've put yourself in now, I'm sure they'll find plenty of dirty laundry to help establish a pattern. My advice is that you get a good lawyer and turn yourself in while you still can. Long story short, Mr. Frit, it doesn't really matter who the hell pins this on you. You're up the creek, and there's not one lawyer in this country that's gonna tell you any different. All you have to decide is how much about your past you want exposed to the public and how much money you're willing to spend to get as many of these people off your back as you can. But hey, think of it this way: As bankrupt as you'll be afterwards, you might still be able to slither your way out of Club Fed."

Frit was red with rage and embarrassment. He pulled out the piece of paper with the secretary's phone number, crumbled it up in his hand and slammed it on her desk.

"Oh and Billy," Renee called, walking up close to him. "I just need one more thing from you."

"Yeah, and what's that?" Frit asked harshly.

"These," Renee said moving her hand below his belt.

"These what?" Frit asked in frustration.

"Dese nuts!" Renee cried, pretending to grab Frit's testicles and throw them to Link.

Link, Renee, and Joshua burst out laughing, and when they laughed, the rest of the floor was soon to follow.

Frit scoffed and marched toward the elevator with the remains of what was once his dignity.

"We'll send 'em back to you in a package with the rest of your stuff when we're through with 'em!" Link yelled pretending to hold them up for Frit to see.

When he was gone, the laughter subsided, and Renee returned to her office.

"Miss Palmer," the Chairman said, "I just want to say that I represent the entire board when I tell you that I am so sorry for everything that happened. We never should have doubted you. I hope that if you can find it in your heart to forgive us, we can put this embarrassing incident behind us."

"Oh, Bob," Renee said cynically. "That's so sweet. Tell the rest of the board that I'll think about it and to hold their breath until I get back to you."

The Chairman marched away quietly with his tail between his legs.

"It's good to have you back, Renee," Joshua said.

"Thanks," Renee replied, "and I just want you to know, Joshua, that you're the only one in this company that I do forgive."

Joshua nodded and closed the door behind him to give Link and Renee some time alone.

"Thank you, Rembrandt," Renee said, giving him a long hug, "for everything you did."

"Aw, forget about it," Link said in an embarrassed tone. "Anything to help out a friend."

"Tell Augur and Street I said thanks," Renee said as Link started out of the office.

"I'll do that," Link said. "You gonna watch the results tomorrow?"

"Please," Renee scoffed. "I'm done with that."

"I'm guessin' you'll be replacing that chair with your own pretty soon."

"Actually, I think I'll keep this one," Renee said triumphantly laying back with her hands behind her head. "It'll make a nice trophy, and a reminder to whomever else decides to screw around with my job."

"You're the boss."

_That's right_, Renee thought to herself. _I _am_ the boss._ "Oh, and tell Da'an I said hi when she gets back."

"I'll send her the message," Link said giving her a smooth salute.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven: Aftermath

It was late in the afternoon when Da'an, Mi'en, and Ariel returned to Earth. They landed at an abandoned military air base that Tay'jay and Da'an had commandeered in secret to work the evacuation. Da'an had been surprised to see Ma'ri among the upcoming group of Espelons leaving the planet. She had expected Ma'ri to leave much later. Upon asking her why she was leaving so soon, Ma'ri informed Da'an that Tay'jay had ordered all of his original ship crew to join him immediately. Ma'ri was among the last in the crew to leave. She also informed Da'an of the lackluster results of the congressional elections and that Tay'jay would tell her the rest of the story if she would wait a few moments.

"Where is Tay'jay now?" Da'an asked.

"The ANA building, but I wouldn't go there just yet," Ma'ri warned. "Hubble's on the warpath and he called Augur, Tay'jay and a bunch of other people to a meeting. Tay'jay's pissed too. I heard Liam got in a fight with some Taelon."

Da'an sighed quietly so as not to display her concern to Ariel. She told Ma'ri that she would meet Tay'jay herself, wished her a good voyage, and gave Ariel time to say goodbye to her wet nurse and teacher. When the farewells were exchanged and Ma'ri disappeared into the large portal, Da'an, Mi'en, and Ariel took their places in the same portal with their luggage. Within minutes they were in an old parking garage not far from the ANA building.

"Mi'en," Da'an said, "take Ariel to the barracks. I want her to spend the night with you. I will pick her up first thing in the morning."

"But why?" Mi'en asked with concern.

Ariel giggled mischievously. "Mommy and Daddy are going out on a date."

Mi'en administered to Da'an an inquiring look in search of confirmation. Da'an grinned. "You heard the child."

Mi'en burst out laughing. "Well, good luck. What should I do with this?" She was pointing to the dolly with their luggage.

"I will take it with me," Da'an said.

Da'an kissed Ariel and bid her a loving good night before she teleported to an often-empty room in the ANA building.

* * *

Liam had been waiting for Da'an to return so that he could tell her all about the turmoil that had gone on while she was gone. Therefore, when he received a call from Augur to come to the ANA building, he immediately assumed that Da'an had finally returned. Instead, he walked into a conference room where Hubble, Renee, Tay'jay, Augur, Nu'na and the Taelon he had confronted were all waiting for him.

"What's going on here?" Liam asked.

Renee folded her arms and arched her back. "You tell me, Liam."

Liam marched straight towards Augur and pulled him away from the group. "What is this?"

"I'm sorry, Liam," Augur said with what appeared to be genuine shame. "You wouldn't answer when Hubble called you so he made me."

"I gave you a lot of leeway, Kincaid, because of all the great things you've done for the Human Liberation Movement," Hubble said sinisterly, "but this time you've pushed me too far."

"You're sandbagging me," Liam realized. "You're taking the side of these lunatics and you're sandbagging me."

"I've had it with you, Kincaid," Hubble said. "You're a loose cannon. You attack a fellow co-worker, you put me in a position to embarrass myself with that damn talk show—had it not been for Mr. Dauterive and his efforts this organization's reputation never would've recovered."

"That 'co-worker' was a Taelon," Liam shot back. "I figured you wouldn't have a problem with that, and with the show, as far as I'm concerned, you put yourself in a position to be embarrassed the moment you agreed to show up. At the end of the day, you could've always said no!"

"This isn't about me. It's all about you and how you've failed me and this whole organization," Hubble said. "I should have known better than to trust you and your group. After you failed the Resistance with the State of Emergency and again with the Volunteer ambush in Utah I should have known you would crack under pressure like you always do."

"I always wondered why Da'an never trusted you, and now I see why," Liam fired. "These two people conspire against me to make me look bad and you side with them because your job's now on the line and your image is at stake."

"We did nothing but prove you are who you are," Nu'na retorted. "It was bound to happen sooner or later. Better we let it come out now before it gets someone killed. I've been telling Da'an, Tay'jay, and Hubble you have no self-control and no dignity."

"Wake up, Liam. You're far too passionate, too emotional to handle this job. You put other people's lives at risk," the Taelon added. "You let your alien prejudices lead you astray. You use them to look for conspiracies when all the time it's all about you. You're the one who's the problem here. Not us."

"I am not the problem here, and you all know it. You're just looking for a scapegoat," Liam shot back. He darted a glare at Hubble. "You're looking for someone to blame, and who better than me? You've been looking for a way to get rid of me so you could have that two-timing, blond-haired, rich little slut as your trophy wife—"

"Who do you think you're calling a slut you self-indulgent, self-absorbed little brat?" Tay'jay fired.

"Oh, so now you're defending Renee?" Liam asked harshly. "If she knew what you say about her when she's not around, she would never stand with you and throw this shit in my face."

"Step back, TJ! I don't need you to defend me from Mr. Blame-It-All-On-The-World here," Renee said holding Tay'jay back and stepping up to face her former lover herself. "Now, you listen to me, you paranoid hack! I've put up with your bitching. I've put up with your immature measly unprofessional alien puberty angst and I'm tired. So help me God I'm tired! I love you, Liam. I don't know how else to say it, but I can't be with a man who doesn't trust me."

"You never loved me! None of you ever cared," Liam yelled. "All this time, I've worked my ass off for you. I've risked my life. I've lost all my parents. I've been betrayed and backstabbed, and instead of so much as a 'thank you,' you all hose me when things seem to be at their worst."

"You always have to be the one who saves mankind, but the time for playing Mr. Superhero is over," Hubble said in a low voice. "It's clear to me that the only person who can save this organization is me, and the last thing I need is you ruining my efforts, putting lives at risk, and putting my colleagues' reputations on the line just so that you can play Superman and go looking for trouble to fight. So go ahead! Go play renegade fighter, but stand in my way again and I'll trample you. You have no idea of the power I have. I can buy you out. I can take your job. You're not a superhero, Kincaid. You're just replaceable!"

"You're a dirty old crook!" Liam yelled. "That's all you are, and soon you'll get yours in the end! I just hope I'm around to see it, and when it happens I pray that God have mercy on you all for playing Devil's advocate with this fuck who calls me self-indulgent when all the time he should be looking into a mirror! Because the only self-indulgent, self-absorbed megalomaniac I see is you, Urick!"

"Lay off, Liam," Augur pleaded. "Just trust us. Accept this as is."

"Don't tell me you're defending these people!" Liam cried.

"Why can't you trust us?" Augur asked. "I've had it with this. I'm tired of all this fighting that's tearing us apart and turning the only cause I've ever risked my life for and truly believed in into a three-ring circus!"

"Stay out of this, Augur! This is between me and Urick!" Liam yelled, pushing Augur aside.

However, instead of letting himself be brushed aside, he pushed Liam back. "Well, it's between me too, you confused little tripe, and I'm tired of being put on the line and being treated like trash. I'm the one who's known you since you were a baby. I gave you the means to be a part of the world. I gave you my protection. I gave you my love. Liam, you're like a brother to me!"

"Then, start acting like one and tell them that I'm not a hazard," Liam said. "I'm not a fool. I want to be a part of this like any of you, but when you don't trust me, when you keep secrets from me, when you won't tell me what's going on, how can you expect me to be of any use?"

"You were never of any use," Hubble said. "You were trouble right from the start. That's why I'm demoting you, and I'm replacing you with Dauterive, somebody who can actually control himself under stress. You're lucky I'm not getting rid of you, but your friends here convinced me that there was still a place for you in this cause. Be a man and don't prove them wrong."

"Yeah, that's just what they used to be! My 'friends.' My traitorous, back-stabbing friends!" Liam yelled.

"Enough!" a booming female voice cried. "This ends now. I will not tolerate this kind of bickering, especially from you, Mr. Urick, who of all people should know better and be able to act more professional."

"Oh, look who it is. Mary, Mother of God in the flesh, or should I say in the energy sac!" Hubble yelled. "Don't think you're any less responsible for this. You knew this would happen! You knew what was coming and you did nothing to help! You're a lair, a sneak, and a vicious black widow you cunning little bitch."

Da'an walked in quietly and folded her hands across her chest. The look she gave Hubble reminded him of the same look his wife gave him just before they divorced. "You should be happy that the results were as close as they were. Fifty to fifty-one percent in certain districts, or so I hear."

"You were involved in this, Da'an," Hubble said sinisterly. "I know you were. The time will come for you to answer for this, and when it does I'm going to savor every moment you suffer."

"Are you finished, Mr. Urick?" Her tone was firm and unshaken. "Are all of you finished now?"

Hubble scoffed and raked his hand through his hair.

"I've just barely begun!" Nu'na chimed in.

"Silence, Anuna," Da'an said with a quiet firmness. "It is time for you and Vi'tai to leave."

"Gladly. I've got what I want," Nu'na said triumphantly. "You can keep this tramp, this waste of good DNA. He's not good enough for you. He's no good to the cause."

"I said silence Anuna," Da'an said with a fierce glare.

Nu'na winced when she felt a sharp pain in her head. She administered an apologetic look to Da'an and left with the Taelon.

"I'm leaving too. I don't have to stay for this any longer," Tay'jay said.

"Where do you think you're going?" Liam asked harshly standing in Tay'jay's way. "This is as much your sin. You're just as responsible. You probably planned this all along, you and Da'an. Didn't you, Da'an? Admit it! You're up to your old tricks again. I thought I could trust you after all we've been through together. How dare you betray me again and then go so far as to turn all my friends and my loved ones against me too?"

"You just watch your tone, Mr. Liam Kincaid," Tay'jay said, turning Liam's head back to face him. "Because she doesn't need this from you, you unfit and second rate Achilles. You pathetic has-been! You're so dense that you can't even see that she's always cared for you, defended you, and loved you like a son. Why she does is beyond me 'cause you don't deserve it, you ungrateful, bullshitting blowhard. So you just leave her out of this. This has nothing to do with her. It's always and all about you. Just you!"

"Liam, just go and let me handle this," Da'an said. "I will speak with you later. Please trust me when I tell you this fight is absurd. It's not worth it. This is all in your mind, and when you calm down you will see that you are much better off this way."

"I can't believe this! After all these years of protecting you all!" Liam cried, trying to shadow his tears with his anger.

"You're a waste and a failure," Tay'jay said snidely.

"You were trouble," Augur said in frustration.

"I was your friend!" Liam cried. "I was your ally!"

"No! You were only trouble!" Renee cried, trying to hold back the tears streaming building in her eyes. "That's all you were, and I was kidding myself for believing anything otherwise."

"Liam, stop this now before it goes too far. Just go outside and wait for me!" Da'an said sternly. "Don't make me force you. Don't make me do this to you."

"Don't even bother. It's done with! He's finished!" Hubble yelled. "Now get out of here. All of you just leave! Things are changing here now, and it's going to start very soon."

"I ought to kill you," Liam whispered, pushing Da'an aside and storming straight for Hubble.

Hubble huffed and arched his back so that he would appear taller than Liam and much more menacing.

"No!" Da'an yelled, pointing her finger stiffly at Liam. That was when Liam's legs gave way and he dropped to the floor.

"I'm so sorry, Liam," Augur whispered with grief, and he and Renee slowly left the room. Hubble followed without hesitation and without shame.

"Link will tell you everything later," Tay'jay whispered to Da'an, with a vicious sneer at the defeated lump on the floor that was Liam. "I've got to talk to him anyway and tell him that he just got Liam's job."

* * *

Link had been unable to see Tay'jay off as he had hoped because he had some personal business to manage. However, Tay'jay gave him the benefit of the doubt by talking with him on an encoded transmission about the situation with the Ring.

"How much of this have you told Da'an?" Link asked.

"She knows all about it," Tay'jay said.

"So then you did get to say goodbye to her?"

"It was at the very last minute, but yes I did," Tay'jay said with a smile. "I should've known she wouldn't forget about me. She looks great. I think the vacation really helped her."

"I can't wait to see her," Link said, brushing off his sentiments with a sigh. "So how many colonies are we talking about?"

"Six colonies so far," Tay'jay said. "Geris's reports confirm it too. I'm sending Ta'lay and the rest of the supplies to Hektus for now. I'm going to meet her there, but I thought I should warn you in advance to be on your guard. This might be bigger than Hubble, bigger than we can even imagine. If the priests are attacking the Ring, that means somebody's feeding them information."

"Meaning we could be facing more than one traitor," Link said. "That means we can't trust anybody, not even Liam and Renee. You know Da'an's not gonna like this."

"If she wants this to work, we need the Ring," Tay'jay said. "If the Ring's broken, the whole plan's at risk. If there's a leak, we need to close it now while we still can, and we can't trust anybody until it is closed. I'll start running checks on all my people and I've already made arrangements to beef up security to its highest, but all this is gonna take time. I can't afford to be here on Earth anymore. Take care of my sister, Link."

"You can count on me," Link said. "Good luck."

"I'll see you soon," Tay'jay said, and then the transmission died.

Link closed his global and began his trip out of the ANA building, but when he came to the exit, Augur was waiting for him.

"You've been looking for me?" Link asked.

"I thought I should tell you that Hubble demoted Liam," Augur said sternly.

"I heard. That's too bad," Link said quickly and unconcerned.

"And he's promoting you to Liam's spot," Augur said. "You've now got the perfect window into Hubble's privacy. Just like you wanted all along, not so?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," Link said.

"Oh I think you do," Augur said sinisterly. "I don't mind serving Da'an if it's for the greater good, but there's one thing I don't like and that's being used. You used me and Street to save Renee and make yourself look like a hero. Then you purposefully let Liam go over the edge so that Hubble could replace him with you. You let him get trampled to satisfy your own agenda."

Link grinned at Augur. "We all have agendas, Mr. Devereaux," he said without his New York accent. "The fact of the matter is that I was given a task, and I executed it. I've fulfilled my part of the bargain, and pretty soon you'll do the same…and then some."

"At the expense of Liam's life?"

"Liam's not my responsibility, and apparently he's not your responsibility either, not anymore at least. Who are you really trying to fool, Devereaux? You gave that stuff to Abby and tried to clear Liam's name because you felt guilty. But now, the guilt is gone. The burden of loyalty you once felt has finally diminished, and you are free to do what you want at your leisure. I asked you what you wanted to do. You've made a decision, and I think you made the right one. Trust me. When this is over, you'll be thanking me."

"Who the hell are you?" Augur asked, standing face to face with Link. "Who are you really working for?"

"I'm just a man who saw an opportunity and took it," Link said with a shrug. "You're joining the wave of the future. There's a universe of information out there for the taking, a universe that's vast and infinite."

With that said, Link left the ANA building and left Augur there to wonder just how big this flow was that he had chosen to become a part of.

* * *

Da'an closed the door of the conference room and locked it. Liam was trying desperately to hold back his tears. She brought his head against her chest, and that was when Liam finally burst into tears. For several minutes, Da'an just sat rocking him and letting him cry.

"I failed," he choked miserably. "I went over the edge. I let that little bitch and her crew get to me. I keep telling myself that it doesn't hurt. They're just words. I can't let them get to me. I keep telling myself that they're just jealous, but I can't help it. I've lost Renee. I've lost Augur. I've lost everything I ever believed in."

"You believe that it goes against your nature to fail," Da'an said. "In reality it goes against your ego. You have never truly failed before Liam. You have never encountered a problem that you could not resolve."

"I just miss the good old days, back when I knew who the enemy was and how to fight him. Now, with all these politics and propaganda, the message has gotten lost. It seems like everything Renee and I fought for, everything that people like Boone and Lili died for has just become a sick joke to everybody."

Da'an placed her hand on Liam's temple. "I know how you feel."

Flashes of old memories returned to Liam. They were memories of all the quarrels he and Da'an had fought together, but something was different about these memories. It did not take long for him to realize that he was experiencing them all from Da'an's point of view. When she pulled her hand away, he realized that he hurt more than he ever did from the barrage of insults he had received from people like Nu'na. How much pain had she hidden from him? How much pain was she still hiding?

"I was an idiot," Liam said.

"I still do not know whether or not you meant everything you said to me," Da'an said. "Perhaps you only meant it at the time. However, I have learned that humans tend to say many things to each other that they do not mean to say, especially when they are angry."

"I shouldn't be acting this way, like some kind of sick child," Liam said, drying his tears.

"We all reach a point where we feel inadequate," Da'an said. "Even Taelons and Espelons do. I meant it when I said there are powers always guarding you because you are indispensable to our survival. Even if you cannot see them at rock bottom, they are there. They are there because they always have faith in you even when you do not have faith in yourself. Times are changing now. They will always change, and tastes will always change. It is your duty as an individual to use the gifts you were blessed with to adapt to that change without sacrificing the core of who you are."

"I know that you're right. In retrospect I probably am better off without Hubble and being a part of his organization, but what hurts the most is knowing that I'm capable of so much more than this. I am better than this person who's become nothing more than a relic of what was once an alien-human hybrid named Liam Kincaid. I don't know why my father made me, but I'm sure it wasn't for this."

"Becoming Major Liam Kincaid was something you chose to do for yourself. Your father had nothing to do with it."

"It just hurts knowing that the only thing I have left anymore is my job as a companion protector, a job that started out as nothing more than a cover. Pretty soon when all of this is over, I'm going to be called back to duty. Then, I'm just going to show up at the North American Taelon Embassy and work for some heartless alien who's just sitting high and mighty on his throne waiting for me to screw up just because I don't have an implant like the rest of his protectors."

"Oh, Liam," Da'an said, releasing him from where he lay and letting him right himself enough to face her directly. "Is it so terrible to be normal? Is it so bad to not be a leader? To just be Liam Kincaid, the human? The mortal?"

"I don't want the defining mark of my life to be the best companion protector the priests have ever had. I don't want to go on serving my enemies if it's not for a greater cause."

"But you can still be a part of that cause. Just because you are no longer leading it does not mean it is no longer yours to fight. If anything, you can be more of a part of it. No longer do you have to worry about so many lives in your hands. This burden of duel-loyalty you have dealt with for so long—you are free of that."

Liam forged a smile. "I guess it isn't that bad to be relieved of so much responsibility."

"Liam, I would hate to think where the resistance would be without you. I do not know exactly why your father created you. I do not know if it was an accident brought on by his mating instincts or something more. What I do know is that I would never have become who I am now without you. I owe you so much, and I am so grateful to have you in my life. There are some things that we have absolutely no control over, but every now and then fate opens a window allowing us to take control of our own destinies. You are simply in a place that is so dark and so oppressive that you cannot see the window fate has given you. I know what that is like. I have been in that same place. I know the way out. I can show it to you if you will let me."

"Everything's just changing so fast that I don't know where to stand, where to even begin," Liam said. "Even you're changing. It's just hard to know that everything's moving so fast that you've been left behind. I want to be a part of this, Da'an. I want to see this through to the end."

Da'an sat Liam up until his back was straight. "Then, swear your unbending trust and allegiance to me," she whispered firmly. "Become my sleeper. Have faith in no one but me, and let me show you the way."

"You mean you have to request it?" Liam asked. "I have always had faith in you. I have seen what you can endure and survive. I know what you're capable of. You know, a long time ago, I told Renee that I wish that I'd met Ma'el. I was amazed of the loyalty he was capable of inspiring. I was an idiot. Why would I need to meet Ma'el when I know someone as extraordinary as you? Nothing would make me happier than to serve you. I would die for you, Da'an."

Da'an gently embraced Liam, but when she released him she found that the smile on his face had converted into an intense stare.

"Before I swear myself to you, I want you to promise me something. Just let me say this before you say anything," Liam said firmly. "If you make me this promise, I swear to you all the loyalty I have to give. I won't get in the way. I won't ask questions. I will do anything you ask of me, and I will take that in stride."

"What is it you wish of me, Liam?"

Liam took a hold of Da'an's arms. "I know that you are changing. I can sense it. I have to admit that some of it scares me. You've always been something of a mystery to me, Da'an, but no matter what you do or how you change, there have always been things about you that have always been. You've always been witty, clever, and…and sharp, but you've also been delicate, compassionate and loving. I don't know what fate has in store for you, but I'm afraid that it might be taking you to a place where I can't reach you." Da'an could feel his grip tightening as if she had become a life raft to which he was desperately trying to cling. "I know it's selfish of me, but I've already lost too much. I can live without Renee, I can live without my duty, and I can live without my parents—but I've only learned to live without those things because of you. I can't afford to lose you. You are the closest thing I have to a parent that's left. Even if we're not connected by blood, I consider you family. So I need you to promise me that no matter what happens, you won't lose yourself. Don't let any human, Taelon, Espelon or God-knows-what-else rob you of that fire that I love so much about you. You've endured so much to gain the mortality that you have, and I don't want you to sacrifice that. You can become whomever you want to be, but promise me that you will always stay Da'an."

When Liam finished, he found that Da'an was trembling. However her facial expression did nothing to reflect her movements. Her glance was lowered and lost in thought probably trying to comprehend just what Liam had asked of her. Whatever it was, Liam could tell something had Da'an torn. Therefore, when she looked up and a satisfied smile was on her face, a tiny wave of relief washed over him.

"Moto Hagio once said, 'Meeting someone is God's doing, but parting is what humans do themselves,' " she said in a tranquil tone. "Give me your hands, Liam."

Liam complied and held them out for her to take. She gripped them tightly until her palms were permanently pressed against his palms. Then, her hands turned a bright blue. Suddenly, Liam felt a strange tingling. It tickled his palms and his instinct was to attempt to release them, but Da'an's grip was too firm.

"Do not move," she told him, blushing painfully.

Without warning the tingling became searing. The pain burned from his palms to the back of his hands and then journeyed up through his arms. Liam felt his eyesight white out as the burning sensation found its way to his neck. His heart was pounding so hard and his breathing was so disjointed that he could barely groan much less ask Da'an what she was doing to him.

Suddenly, as quickly as it began, all the pain ceased. Da'an was breathing heavily. Whatever she had done to him had drained her. When Liam looked down at his palms, he found an unbelievable sight.

It was his sha'quarava, glowing brighter than he had ever seen them! He could not believe that Da'an had done this for him. _But why?_

"In order to reactivate your sha'quarava, I had to use a piece of my essence. You are now in possession of a piece of my soul," Da'an said, still mildly breathless from the experience. "May it be a hallmark to you that I will keep your promise. So long as my soul is my own, your sha'quarava will never again fade away."

Da'an rose and left before Liam could thank her and before he could give her his word that he would serve her. But that was a promise he did not need to make aloud. So Liam sat there in that room staring in awe at his sha'quarava. As time passed, he began to accept that the torch he had once coveted so jealously had now passed to her.

* * *

Link returned to his apartment in the dead of night. He was sure that Da'an and Ariel had beaten him home and were probably asleep. Therefore, he took his time getting to the bedroom and stopped in the kitchen to have a drink. When he finished, he loafed slowly to bed, ready to collapse next to his sleeping partner. But when he walked in, the lights came on and Da'an was sitting in the bed, wide-awake in a satin robe.

"Welcome home," she said cheerfully.

"Same to you," he replied. "How was the trip?"

"It was nice," Da'an said rising to her feet. "It gave me much time to think."

"Where's Ariel?"

"With Mi'en. Tomorrow we are going to spend the day together as a family."

"And tonight?" Link asked hesitantly.

"Tonight?" Da'an asked with a crafty smile. "Tonight a revelation has come to me."

"What kind of revelation?"

"In the short time we have known each other," Da'an said, starting her way towards him, "you have proven yourself to be compassionate, open, and ridiculously devoted."

Link heard the door close by itself behind him as Da'an started twirling the cord that held her robe together.

"You have stood by me through so much. Even when Ariel came along, you never left me. Even when I turned from you, you returned to me. When I lost my sanity, you remained by my side. Every time you had a chance to leave me, you have stayed and you have stood by me."

"I love you," Link said, letting Da'an back him into the door.

"I realize that you been a very patient man, Alexandre Delancy," Da'an said, softly running her finger down the side of Link's cheek. "You have waited with a patience not even a saint could have, and it is fine time…you were given…what you so rightfully deserve." For every pause she made, she kissed him somewhere on his face.

Link exhaled very nervously, so nervous in fact that he pushed Da'an backwards. "Are-Are you sure about this?"

"You don't want to take me?" Da'an asked, pretending to be upset.

"It-It's just that I really don't know how," Link stuttered.

"We can learn."

"But what if we don't get it right? I mean what if we hate it?"

"Then, we had the fun of trying."

"We have no idea what could happen. What if you hurt me or something, or I hurt you? Of course, I don't know how possible that really is, but still. And what about your powers? What if we make the whole loft explodes or something? And then what about me? I don't even know what to do with my—"

Link had stopped the moment Da'an removed her robe, exposing her nude body to him. As he examined every perfect feature of her soft creamy form, he completely forgot what it was about this that had frightened him. "You-You know what? We can just figure it out as we go."

He grabbed Da'an and crashed with her on to the bed, caressing every inch of her form and marking it with delicate kisses. Da'an tore off his clothing, and for every piece of clothing she could not reach, she used her telekinesis to remove it. Link worked on ways to stimulate his partner, stopping only to pull her under the thin white sheets with him. Using the energy in his own body, he ran his fingers down her bare back and let them excite her particles with his own. For every stimulating touch, Da'an lost a small bit of her façade, and she communicated her satisfaction by grabbing his hand and pulling him into a powerful and emotional sharing. The incredible and seemingly endless pleasure enthralled Link more with each passing moment and as the minutes crawled by like years, Link found himself shedding all his worldly ideas of physical love and intercourse. The foreplay continued until he felt his body lift from the bed and the thin sheet melt away from their merged bodies. It was the last physical thing he felt. It was the last physical thing that he cared to feel as the organism into which they had joined erupted in a brilliant white light that swathed the entire bedroom.

The End


End file.
